


Clandestine Operation

by inatrice



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Blow Jobs, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Pining, Recreational Drug Use, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Trans Genji, Undercover Jesse, Vaginal Penetration, Yakuza Prince Genji, descriptions of violence, mentions of alcohol use, mentions of drug use, more tags to be added as they come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-11-07 23:05:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inatrice/pseuds/inatrice
Summary: - An intelligence operation designed to remain secret.Jesse McCree is sent to Japan with a whole new identity. His mission: gain intelligence on the inner workings of the Shimada Clan posing as a bodyguard for one of the members. He soon realizes he might be in over his head when he's assigned to watch Genji Shimada- who is determined to get him fired.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of posts and art that got me thinking about this AU. Although with the info that came out with the Uprising event, who knows this type of scenario might even be canon. And I love it so I'm writing my own ideas out lol.
> 
> I will post chapter ratings in the notes! This fic is planned to get spicy, but prior warning will be given. We're staring out with a T rating!
> 
> Also blessings and thanks to Pug for helping me edit this, make it more authentic and believable, and talking stuff out with me. ilu boo.

As Jesse stared at the harsh fluorescent lights of the interview room, he hoped they would bring some wakefulness to his exhausted body. He had to pretend he hadn’t been in the dry air of an airplane for nineteen hours yesterday. He had to be able to claim that he'd been in Japan long enough to know the language and Hanamura as well as he knew his own home and native tongue. He had to know the ramen shop around the corner and the best takoyaki stall in the city. He hoped the last couple months of intensive language training and pouring over maps fooled these two Shimada goons enough to get to the next level of interviewing-- at least. He had to be the man on the inside of the Shimada clan. The plan was dependent on him now; he hoped he wouldn’t let Reyes down.

He was familiar enough with the goings-on here because he knew what it was like to have a criminal ring as your family. He ignored the guilty twinge in the back of his mind. The twinge that told him he was robbing a lot of kids of their income and home. Kids just like him. But instead of being in the desert, they were in the heart of Shimada castle. Maybe they were snobs. Maybe he shouldn’t feel so bad. But somewhere in the back of his mind he knew, he knew this would be the same as Deadlock, but he quieted that part of himself. This was exactly the reason he'd been chosen. He knew this life, knew how it worked and how it was handled. Knew how to run with the best of them. Didn’t bat an eye at bashing a guy’s teeth in with a baseball bat. He was able to run on less sleep and more cocaine. And though the Deadlock gang may have paid a bit better, he had to admit his soul felt just a bit lighter with the work he was doing for Overwatch, and this qualified. Even with the kids and the baseball bats and the copious amounts of uppers and downers. So he'd come up with an alias and a new life and accepted the first Blackwatch assignment he had been qualified for.

One of the black-haired men glanced back up from the resume handed them across the table. Everything on it was true, to a degree. Blackwatch just modified everything to make all of his illegal activities sounded legitimate enough to apply for a bodyguard position in the most notorious Japanese crime family. The man looked him over with an unimpressed gaze. Jesse knew he looked young, he was only 20 years old, but the beard helped, giving him an older and, he thought, a more rugged look. He threw the man an easy smile and the man's brow crinkled. Jesse noticed the split in his eyebrow from an old scar that never healed properly. Eyebrow-scar glanced at his partner, who Jesse had affectionately named snaggletooth, and they murmured to each other, too soft and too quick for Jesse to catch. One of their phones chimed and the second man pulled it up, reading the message that was sent. He nodded.

"Follow us," the man with the scar said, both of the men standing up.

Jesse’s heart leapt, hoping this was good news. He muttered an affirmation and stood to follow them out of the interview room and farther into one of the many buildings in Shimada Castle. He watched carefully, noting exits as he passed them, doing his best to memorize the path taken. Formulating an emergency escape plan. He was led to another room, this time he was met with a man in traditional Japanese dress, his dark hair tied back and shining. He looked up when the three of them entered the room, a serious expression on his face.

"He seems fit?" The man asked, eyes narrowing incredulously.

"His credentials check out," Eyebrow-scar answered. "This list is impressive." He stepped forward and handed the folder to the man.

The man, who Jesse assumed was one of the Shimada leaders based off of what he'd read in the dossier, looked over the paper carefully. He nodded slowly as he leafed through it, though when he looked up again, his eyes were still unsure.

"Why did you come to Japan?"

Jesse quieted his nerves as he spoke, praying to God almighty that his accent wasn't too embarrassing. Maybe they would find it charming. "Well, sir, I thought I'd take some time away from the US. I need to keep my head down for a while, but I need money, so I thought I'd do something I'm familiar with."

"Are you expecting us to offer you protection?" The man asked him.

"No, sir. Just need a job." Jesse answered smoothly.

The man's jaw worked as he mulled this over. "Why should I hire some 20 year old punk?"

Jesse's back stiffened. He could feel his palms sweating. But he had to be confident. Confident like playing darts in the Deadlock bar on his second warm whiskey. "Because I'm the best shot the US military doesn't have."

A look of surprise crossed the man's face. He leaned forward, the packet of paper slipping off to the side as he did. Without hesitation, Jesse drew his gun and, in a heartbeat, pressed the side of his revolver to the man’s head. Neither of the goons had even drawn their weapons. “It would take me two seconds to blow your brains out. And the guys behind me? Don’t stand a chance either. Both have the safety on. I could make my escape and you’d be none the wiser. Right, double left, out the back door. No cameras out there. It’s a mistake.”

By now, eyebrow-scar and snaggletooth were pointing their guns directly at him, safeties off, but Jesse’s movement was over before they could really make a move. “Don’t you want me on your team?” Jesse simply smiled coolly, spinning his revolver on his finger before shoving it back in the holster.

"All right, Mr. Eastwood," the man said. "You've got the job."

* * *

The next morning, bright-and-fucking-early, Jesse was moved from his hotel to a room inside the main building of the Shimada Castle. He knew from his maps that this was where the head family lived and worked. It also housed the staff quarters. The room was cushy, at least to his standards, and he wasn’t much complaining. After Deadlock and military grade barracks, a queen sized off-brand mattress and a closet with a door was more than ample. Once he'd delivered his things, he was instructed to meet a man named Daisuke. Daisuke was his link to the head of security for the compound. He ran the detail for the main house and was, for all intents and purposes, Jesse's new CO. He would report to him every morning for any new information as well as passing on anything he'd encountered while watching his mark, though Jesse wasn't really even sure who he was going to be watching. The poor sucker.

Daisuke was waiting for him in the security room. One wall was filled with CC displays and Jesse could see there was a man sitting and watching them as they recorded every inch of the castle. Daisuke wore a sleek black uniform, similar to what Jesse had been given to wear, and his belt held an array of things, from mace to a gun. There was a communication device connected to his ear, as well as a lens that covered his left eye. Jesse could see data readouts scrolling past, though Daisuke's gaze was trained directly on him.

"Welcome, Mr. Eastwood." He said seriously. As if none of them knew. And Jesse guessed they didn’t because who the hell watched anything in 35mm anymore. Daisuke held his hand out to shake, and Jesse took it, making sure his grip was firm. "Your work begins today."

Jesse was handed a communication device of his own, as well as a lens for updates as they came. He was also given a belt to hold his own protective devices, a place for his own gun holster on it. He fit himself quickly, having worked with similar equipment through Blackwatch. If Daisuke was suspicious of his familiarity, he didn't let on.

"You will be guarding an extremely important member of the Shimada Clan, Eastwood." Daisuke told him seriously. "You will report to me and Shimada Asano only. You met him yesterday. He’s the head of security. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Jesse responded, ignoring the pang of nerves as he remembered the man he’d threatened during the interview.

"Good." Daisuke nodded. "Come, I will show you to your post." He led Jesse through a doorway and into the house. "While he is in his room, no one but family or staff are allowed in. You will follow him as he goes through his day, whether here in the compound or out into the city. If he has scheduled or spontaneous travel, you will be with him at all times. When he leaves the compound, he is not to leave your line of sight, understood? Not once."

"Yes, sir." Jesse said, his nerves becoming more frazzled with every word. They passed his room as they walked and Jesse realised hit mark's room was within earshot of his own. Good thing that wasn’t the case last night. "Sir, who will I be watching?" He asked, hoping that the question didn't seem stupid. They had already hired him and already given him a uniform and he still didn’t have a fucking clue.

Daisuke looked him over once before answering. “Shimada Genji."

Jesse made sure to train his features, though he couldn't help but swallow his spit. He almost choked on it. When he had been assigned to take up a job offering in the Shimada Clan, he'd assumed it would be someone of relatively little importance within the organization. Someone’s cousin. Some dumb kid who did too much coke. But for him to be watching one of the sons of the leader of the Shimada's-- it was a blessing and a curse. Sure, any information he could gather now would be exceptional, and it was likely Reyes would be tickled pink by the news, but this also upped the stakes tenfold. Twentyfold. Fuck he couldn’t even do math that high. There was absolutely no room for error now, and he would have to be more careful and discreet than originally planned. There was no doubt in his mind that he would be monitored just as closely as he was expected to watch Genji.

_Genji fucking Shimada._

Daisuke checked his watch. "He usually gets up after noon, so your watch should be pretty uneventful until then. If there are any updates, they'll populate on your feed, or we'll alert you over audio. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

With a nod, Daisuke left him to his post. His mark. The youngest Shimada heir.

Once he was sure the area was clear, Jesse let out a heavy sigh through his nose. He hadn’t noticed he was holding his breath. Running a hand through his short hair, he leaned against the wall next to the double doors that lead into Genji Shimada's room. His fingers itched to send the info back to Blackwatch immediately, but he had a schedule to adhere to, both here at his post and one for weekly reports set up by Blackwatch to remain as inconspicuous as possible. He had contacts here that he would be able to get in touch with should his identity be compromised or if a catastrophic emergency were to take place, but other than that he was on his own.

He couldn't help but let his mind wander after the news. Did Blackwatch know that this is where the mission would lead? Surely they would have informed him if they knew. But that begged the question: why the fuck was the Shimada Clan looking outside their own resources to hire a guard for one of their most precious assets? Scenario after scenario played in his head while the hours passed. It was just as boring as Daisuke had warned him and it allowed his mind to travel to some interesting places in search for answers he wasn't sure he would ever receive.

He was so lost in himself, he almost jumped when the latch to the door finally clicked and it swung open. Jesse leapt to attention, his boots clattering on the floor as a dark haired youth stepped out of the room.

He was greeted with an incredulously raised eyebrow and sideswept bedhead sticking straight into the air. There was a hand reaching under a white t-shirt, scratching at an unseen chest, but a triangle of abs were visible just above gray sweatpants that were rolled at his waist and ankles. Edges of a green dragon tattoo peeked out, seeming to span his left side.

"You're the replacement?" Came a voice cracking with sleep.

Jesse stood just a little bit taller and held out his hand. "John Eastwood. Pleasure to meet you."

The lip of the young man that could only be Genji Shimada curled with a hint of displeasure as he stared at Jesse's outstretched hand. "What kind of fake ass name-- what are you, American?"

"Yessir. And my mother was a hundred percent Pueblo." Jesse told him with a grin, always proud of his Native heritage.

Genji just continued staring, though his hand finally fell back to his side, still not shaking. "Really?" He shook his head and chuckled. "They really must be getting desperate to hire someone barely older than me."

"Excuse me, I happen to be twenty. I'll be twenty-one in just a few months here." Jesse told him, a prickle of defiance slipping into his tone.

"Yeah, and I'm 18." Genji shot back. "So, barely older than me." He covered his mouth as he yawned, continuing to ignore Jesse’s hand. "C'mon American," He said, in English this time. "It's time for food."

Jesse followed as Genji led him through the house. The younger man's bare feet barely made a sound on the bamboo floors and it made Jesse almost overly aware of the click of his boots as they walked. Reyes had warned him about the boots.

Genji glanced at him from over his shoulder. "Are cowboy boots standard issue in America?" He asked, slipping back into Japanese.

"Personal choice, sir." Jesse told him coolly, not letting on that the comment had irked him.

"Can you even do anything in them? Can you run?" He wasn't even looking at Jesse now. Couldn’t be bothered.

"There's a reason they're worn a lot," Jesse shot back. "I can do everything I need to in them, don't you worry."

They continued silently until they reached the kitchen. The staff jumped to attention as soon as he entered the room, one woman setting down a bowl of rice onto an empty seat at the table while another began to cook a handful of eggs.

There was another young man at the table. His hair was black like Genji's, though it was considerably longer. He dressed as sharp and serious as the expression on his face as he read through a newspaper and drank a steaming cup of black coffee.

"Hanzo," Genji said, a cheerfulness finally in his voice as he sat down at the table. Jesse knew that Hanzo Shimada was the heir to the Shimada Empire. The elder son. The prodigy.

Only Hanzo's eyes moved as he looked up at his younger brother. "Good afternoon, Genji." His eyes traveled over to where Jesse was hovering just inside of the doorway. "Is this your new babysitter?"

Jesse moved forward. One hand instinctively reached up to where his hat normally would have sat, but now she was stuffed somewhere in his luggage. Poor girl. He put out his hand to shake instead, even if Genji had rejected it, Hanzo seemed to have more decorum. "John Eastwood. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Shimada."

Hanzo merely blinked at him and gave him a curt nod before he folded his newspaper and stood. And maybe Jesse was feeling a little out of place now. Or, very out of place.

"You're not staying to eat?" Genji asked, his mouth already full of rice.

"I've already eaten," Hanzo responded evenly. "Besides, _some_ of us have to learn the family business." He took a final sip of his coffee and left without another glance towards Genji.

Jesse watched as he left, slumping down into one of the chairs at the table. "What crawled up his ass and died?" He looked back to Genji, who was frozen mid chew, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth.

"You've never been a bodyguard before, have you?" Genji asked him, in English, after a moment.

Jesse made sure to not let the streak of fear that had flown through his stomach show on his face. "What makes you say that?"

"Hired help doesn't usually talk back this much." Genji told him and Jesse hoped it was amusement he detected in his voice now. "And they don't usually sit with us at the table."

Jesse glanced around. Not seeing anyone he should be reporting to and no reaction from the kitchen staff he simply shrugged. "I reckon I'm a little different then what you're used to, sir."

Genji's eyes narrowed. "I'll still get you fired." He said as he finally continued to eat. "I've gotten the last twelve to either quit or get kicked out. You'll see."

"Not one for bodyguards, are you?" Jesse asked, leaning back in his chair, finally getting his answer to the outside hire question.

"Not one for being constantly monitored and reported on actually," Genji replied stiffly. "My father says it's for my protection, but that’s a nice way of putting it." So Genji knew he was being monitored. Watched. Judged. Jesse could relate.

Jesse was about to press him, to see if he could get any information, but Genji pointedly began ignoring him as he ate his meal. Jesse kept his mouth shut instead. He had time, he would get his intel. Blackwatch had told him this job was long one and reminded him again and again that subtlety had its place in Shimada Castle. So he would bide his time, and did a little ignoring of his own; the voice in the back of his head reminding him he was monitoring and reporting to not just one boss, but two. He couldn't allow himself to feel guilty about it, so he sat patiently while Genji finished his food, then dutifully stood and followed him to another part of the main house.

The room they entered almost looked out of place in the serene, ancient beauty of Shimada Castle. It was filled to the brim with current technology and a TV that took up nearly half of one of the walls. Genji plopped down on the plush black sofa and picked up a controller, turning on one of the consoles that was hooked up to the TV. Jesse stood there awkwardly, watching as Genji started up a game and sunk further into the cushions.

After a few rounds of Lord knew what, Genji tipped his head in Jesse's direction, though his eyes never left the screen. "Get me a soft drink, would you?"

Jesse sighed and looked around until he found a mini fridge in one of the corners. He stalked over to it, mumbling to himself that he had to be patient and to not let the brat get at him. He had a job to do. He reached blindly into the fridge and pulled out a can and headed back for the couch.

"Don't you have anything else to do today?" He asked as he held out the drink.

"No. Usually I would train, but today is a cheat day." He glanced up at Jesse's outstretched hand. "I want the other flavor."

Jesse simply blinked and turned around on his heels. This was indeed going to be a very long job.

* * *

  The day continued much the same and eventually Jesse grew tired of standing behind the couch and came around to sit on one end of it. It got him another odd look from Genji, but Jesse just stared evenly back at him until he went back to his game. Food was brought into the room at intervals, some for Genji and some for him. At least he was getting fed.

Once evening rolled around, and Jesse was about to start slamming his head into a wall from boredom, Genji suddenly quit the game and stood up from the couch and stretched. "Bed time." He said.

Jesse glanced at his watch, confused. "It's eight o’clock."

"So it is." Genji responded, not even looking at him. He walked out of the room and Jesse scrambled to his feet to follow him. Genji made it back to his room without another word, shutting the door solidly behind him.

"Good night!" Jesse called after him, frowning. Rude kid. Reyes owed him big time for this job.

He shook his head and went back to the security room to turn in an evening report before heading back to his room for the night. He spent some time unpacking and getting comfortable in his new room, taking his hat out of his bag and putting it on his head. A small bit of familiarity while he was feeling exquisitely out of place. Despite Genji's threat to get him fired, he wanted to stay. Needed to stay. Blackwatch was counting on him for intelligence and that's what he intended to do, bratty mark or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like what's here so far! There's three chapters in the works right now and I'll try to update regularly! Thanks for reading, I appreciate you!~
> 
> Please feel free to comment or talk to me about the AU cuz I'm fucking living for it rn. I'm @voidgay_ on Twitter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! This one is still T+ with a warning for depictions of violence towards the end of this chapter.
> 
> Thanks again to Pug for keeping my head on straight with writing this ;0; lov u.

The following morning, Jesse encountered his first roadblock. He reported to the security room early just like the day before, but when he arrived, Daisuke was waiting for him, face stern and stormy.

"Strike one, Eastwood." He said as a greeting.

"What do you mean, sir?" He asked, forehead crinkled.

Daisuke lifted his hand, pointing wordlessly at one of the screens on the CC wall. The man sitting at the desk hit play and a video started up, time stamped 22:23 last night. It was a window outside the main house and all was quiet and calm for the first few moments, and then, a figure exited the window, dressed in dark clothes. The man looked at the camera triumphantly before pulling up his hood and leaping to the ground. He exited the frame. 

Genji.

A flare of annoyance burned in Jesse's stomach as the man at the desk fast forwarded the video to three hours later when Genji finally returned through the window. 

"He was alone in the city for three hours, Eastwood." Daisuke said, voice level. The same way Reyes got when he was too angry to be angry. "Where the fuck were you?"

"He told me he was going to bed," Jesse squeaked out, and he knew how flimsy the excuse was the second it left his lips. "I was in my quarters and assumed he was asleep."

"I told you that you were to accompany him whenever he leaves the grounds." Daisuke reminded, taking a step toward him.

"So am I supposed to not trust him?" Jesse asked, working to keep his voice even.

"You're supposed to do whatever it takes to make sure he is safe," Daisuke responded. "Those are the direct orders from his father, the man who signs your paycheck." He folded his arms across his chest. It made him look better, Jesse noted. "If that means not trusting him, then that's what it means." He met Jesse's gaze evenly. "He only has a photo shoot on his schedule today, but he could have plans. Don't fuck up again or you're out of here. Now get to your post."

Jesse nodded and turned on his heels. He briskly walked out of the security room and stalked directly to Genji's room. Without pausing, he opened the bedroom door and slammed it closed behind him. The room was bigger than he expected but he managed to stomp over to the bed. Genji was already stirring from the noise he was making, but he kicked the bed frame anyway. Genji flinched upright and glared up at him, still wearing his hoodie from the video.

"What the fuck?" Genji spat at him, still groggy from sleep.

"You, what the fuck!" Jesse hissed. "Sneaking out? You asshole!"

“Did someone get in trouble?" Genji asked, stretching languidly in his bed, a self-satisfied smirk twisting his lips. "You have what, one more chance before you're fired?" 

Jesse reached down and grabbed him by the collar, "Listen here! I need this job--" The noise died on his tongue as soon as he caught sight of Genji’s hair. "What did you do?"

"Decided to dye my hair last night." Genji answered. He fluttered his eyelashes. “Doesn’t it look nice?”

"You have a photo shoot today." Jesse said in disbelief, hoping that if he said it, the reality of the situation would change. It did not. 

"I do?" Genji asked, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh shit, I do." He pushed at Jesse's chest. "Guess I have to change. Get out."

"You're not going to go sneakin' out again are you?" Jesse demanded, his voice low and threatening.

"No, calm down, fuck." Genji assured him, holding his hands up in surrender. "I might actually want you here today. The people at this magazine are total ass kissers, but I’m not a fan of the after party crowd."

Jesse searched his face for a moment and then decided he was being sincere. "All right." He let go of Genji's hoodie. "I'll meet you back here in two minutes."

Jesse went back to his quarters and made sure he had extra ammo on him, hollow point rounds in case he had to use his gun indoors, and grabbed his hat, flipping it onto his head before returning to Genji’s room. 

The now green-haired young man was waiting for him outside his door, wearing white pants and a white shirt with an orange emblem. Jesse noted the sleeves were missing and how small his waist looked cinched with a grey belt. Jesse could see the entirety of the green dragon tattoo that covered his arm now, the intricacies of the scales mixed with clouds and lightning strikes. And then Genji’s eyes widened when he saw Jesse.

"You can't be serious," he commented as Jesse stepped up next to him. 

"She's my good luck charm," he responded, tipping the brim of his hat at Genji and winking. "Everywhere I go, she goes."

"She?" Genji raised his brows. It looked like Jesse surprised him, too. "Whatever, let's go get this over with."

The driver that was assigned to Genji, Nakaoka, took them from Shimada Castle deeper into the city to a professional photo studio. The area was posh and fashionable and Jesse couldn't help but think that the streets and the people were straight out of a movie. 

Once the car pulled into the parking lot, two women hurried out to gather Genji and usher him inside. Jesse watched them carefully, listening as intently he could while Genji chatted to them in Japanese on the way in the building. His smile was dazzling. Once inside, a man with an expensive looking camera in his hand froze as Genji walked up to him.

"Genji! What have you done?!" He cried, a hand flying to his mouth. He reached out as soon as Genji was in arm's length to touch his hair. "Oh my god, your hair!" 

Genji shrugged his shoulders and gave the photographer an easy smile. "Hideki, it's fine. It's just hair."

"I don’t think your father will feel the same way." He said, still running a hand over the green locks. "Do you want us to color it back for the shoot?"

Genji just simply shook his head. "Father knows about my tendencies. If he doesn't expect something like this by now, then that’s his fault."

The photographer smacked his lips and pat the top of Genji's head twice. "If you say so. Now go." He waved Genji off towards another part of the studio where the hair and makeup station awaited. "The magazine wants an interview today, too. Think you can manage?"

Jesse could see the tension in Genji's shoulders, though he smiled and nodded to Hideki. Jesse followed to the makeup artist and hair stylist, trying hard not to laugh when they all lamented at the color choice of his dye job, earning him a side eye from Genji himself. But Jesse was impressed at how easily he assuaged them, his tone cool and nonchalant. The women practically swooned around him and fawned when he held their gaze. Jesse couldn't help but be impressed; the kid was smooth. He had read in his file that one of the sons was a playboy. And while yesterday was a farce, today he could see that side of Genji in full force.

Genji was brought to wardrobe and fit into a suit. Jesse spotted several other outfits and prepared himself for a long day. He stood towards the back of the large open room that served as the studio. He could see most everyone here, keeping a keen eye on each individual in case they tried anything. He didn't really expect it here, but he knew how ruthless gang activity could be, and so he watched and waited. As the shoot went on, however, Jesse couldn't help but let his eyes linger on Genji. He was dressed to the nines, and his hair, despite the shock of green, was styled just as perfectly. He knew how to work the camera and work the room. And, Jesse had a feeling, he knew just exactly how handsome he was.

When they cut for the first break, Jesse watched as Genji headed back to the dressing room, and just after making sure no one looked suspicious, Jesse slipped outside to light up a cigarette, leaning against the wall next to the studio door. He hit his head back against it, his hat shifting forward to cover his eyes and he sighed after he took a long drag. Genji was a brat. A very talented brat. A very handsome, very talented brat. Jesse couldn't afford to let himself get distracted on this mission, not when practically the entirety of Blackwatch was relying on him for intel. 

He was startled when the door next to him opened. He lifted the brim of his hat to see Genji standing there, an annoyed look on his face. He was shirtless, wearing only the white pants he had arrived in today. Genji’s chest was built, the muscles almost hiding the old scars beneath his pectorals. Jesse didn’t remember that from the dossier. Did Overwatch know? Not that it mattered, it didn’t bother him, but—

"Smoke break?" Genji asked in English. He met Jesse’s eyes evenly, almost a challenge in his expression, like he was daring him to say something after he’d caught him staring.

"Yes sir," Jesse nodded and reached into his jacket pocket for the pack. He shook it so that a few butts were sticking out of the opening. "Need one?" He offered.

A look of relief swept across Genji's face. He reached forward and took a cigarette. Jesse returned the pack to his pocket and pulled out the lighter. After hardly a second's worth of hesitation, he leaned forward to light the cigarette now sitting between Genji's lips. Their eyes met briefly as Genji took a deep drag, but the contact was broken as Genji let his head fall back and his eyes close while he exhaled.

"I thought you were supposed to be my bodyguard?" Genji quipped, tilting his head up slightly to look at Jesse. "Looking out for my best interest?" He flicked the end of the cigarette in his hand to make his point, a cheeky eyebrow raised.

Jesse merely chuckled. "Speakin' as your body guard, looking out for your best interests means giving you what you need, when you need it." He tipped the brim of his hat up a touch more so he could fully see Genji's face. "Looked like you needed a smoke."

Genji watched him for a few silent moments, his expression unreadable. Jesse ignored his heart beating just a bit harder at the implications of his own words, though even he wasn't sure if he truly meant them to their full extent. He knew Genji could make a joke, tell Jesse he sounded desperate, but he didn’t. 

After the tense moment passed, Genji let his head fall back again as he took another drag. "Thank you." He said quietly after a moment, Jesse watching the muscles in his neck move as he spoke.

"Think nothin' of it." Jesse responded, looking firmly ahead now.

Genji moved to lean on the railing on the side of the ramp they were standing on, elbows resting on the chipping paint. Jesse couldn't help but glance at him, couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed he looked now, how when he moved the part of the dragon tattoo on his back seemed to almost come ailve. Jesse shut his eyes hard and lit up another cigarette.

"Notice anything yet?" Genji asked, not bothering to look over his shoulder as he spoke.

"Not yet." Jesse told him. "They all seem pretty keenly focused on you."

He heard Genji scoff. "I've worked with them before. I don't see anyone new, so I’m not terribly worried. They're paid off by the family to keep our image good." There was a faint smile in his voice. "The after party, however." He stood up straight and turned so that his hips were resting against the railing now. "Who knows who'll be there. So relax while you can."

"Thanks for the permission, boss." Jesse threw back at him, smirking.

Genji glowered at him for just a moment before the door to the studio opened and one of the assistants poked her head out. She blushed when she saw how Genji was dressed. "He wants you back, wardrobe change." She said.

Genji nodded at her and flicked the cigarette over the side of the railing. His eyes met Jesse's once more before he disappeared back into the studio. Jesse heaved one last sigh before following them in.

* * *

The rest of the photo shoot went off without a hitch, though Jesse found himself more and more distracted as the shoot went on. He let himself indulge just a little, especially when the photographer had Genji in an open button down dress shirt. He figured he'd get it out of his system before he really had to focus at the party later. 

Once the shoot was over, one of the journalists took Genji to the side and interviewed him in the main office. Jesse followed, keeping to himself, and staying inconspicuous as he followed Genji around, noting things to put in his reports as they came.

The designer that was featured at the shoot lent Genji one of the suits for the party. He changed after the interview was done and Nakaoka brought them to another location. They hardly spoke in the car, Genji simply leaning his head back and closing his eyes while Jesse played distractedly on his phone. He couldn't help his quick glances at Genji, watching as the young man almost seemed to be napping. He couldn't imagine the pressure of having to be the face of a dynastic criminal empire, especially at eighteen. Jesse recalled what Hanzo had said the day he'd arrived; one son to do the dirty work, one son to keep the public placated and civil. It was a tall task, but something the brothers were groomed for from birth. Jesse looked over at Genji's quiet form again, a twinge of something like sympathy in his gut at the thought of the two of the; young men in dark, inescapable situations. He chewed on his lip and looked out the window of the car, slave to his thoughts until the car finally slowed.

Dusk was upon them as they arrived. Genji rolled out his shoulders before the door was opened for the both of them and they were led into a lavish building. Jesse couldn't help but feel a little under dressed as the rest of the crowd sparkled and shone, but he endured the awkwardness since he wasn't meant to be seen.

Genji had been right, the amount of people was nearly tripled here. Jesse saw some people he recognized from the shoot earlier in the day, but most of the faces were new to him. He scanned the crowd constantly while keeping an ear on what was being said to and around Genji. Most of the other guests commented on his hair or one thing or another the Shimadas were funding in and out of the city. Jesse watched carefully as drinks and hors d'oeuvres were brought to Genji as the night rolled on, most of the wait staff seemingly hard at work though there was one man who seemed particularly interested in Genji, watching him almost as carefully as Jesse himself, though he never tried to get close while Jesse was near him. 

Finally, going off a hunch Jesse stepped away from Genji, melting back into the shadows not too long before Genji had finished a drink. He took off his hat, setting it on one of the serving tables, as his eyes scanned the room carefully until he saw the man. His back was turned for the moment, but when he faced the room again, Jesse could see him sliding something into his pocket. Jesse eyed the drinks on his platter, nothing he could see from across the room, but the man strode over to Genji with a determination wait staff wouldn't usually have. Jesse moved forward as well, never tearing his eyes off the man or his mark. The supposed waiter, gripped one glass tightly, ready to shove into Genji's hand whether he was done with the last or not. But Jesse met him there, reaching out for the man's outstretched hand and gripping his wrist tightly, not letting the suspect glass any closer to Genji. 

"I'll need you to come with me, sir." Jesse's words were polite, but his expression didn't allow for any arguing.

There were a few gasps from the people surrounding Genji and the youngest Shimada looked up at his bodyguard, confusion on his face. Maybe even alarm. Jesse glanced at him meaningfully, before he ushered the man towards the kitchen. He could hear Genji reassuring the other party guests that everything was fine in the easy tone he'd been using all day, though the sound of it now grated on Jesse's nerves. Using the communicator he'd been given, he called in to Daisuke, briefing him on the situation. Daisuke told him to detain the man and hold tight while reinforcements were sent to them. 

Once they made it into the kitchen, Jesse asked another of the wait staff to take the platter the man was holding. A wide eyed woman did while the others looked on fearfully. Jesse simply nodded at them before pulling the man's arm behind his back painfully and pushing him towards one of the pantries. Hardly a minute later, the door behind them opened again and Genji entered holding a chair in front of him. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Jesse shot at him using English as a knee jerk reaction. He watched as Genji clicked the lock on the door. 

"You think I was going to let you have all the fun?" Genji asked him, wicked grin on his face as he turned back into the small space. "I'm bored out of my mind mingling with these people. Beating the shit out of someone who just tried to murder me sounds like a much better option."

Genji stepped forward and put the chair in the middle of the pantry and gave the would be assassin a once over. "Dislocate his shoulder." He ordered in Japanese after a heartbeat. Jesse hesitated for a moment, thrown by the suddenness. "Do it."

He did it without another thought. The man screamed and Jesse shoved him into the now waiting chair. 

Genji took off the jacket of the suit and loosened the buttons on his sleeves before he rolled them up, eyes on the man the entire time. 

Jesse glared down his nose at the man. "Who sent you?" He growled.

The man sneered back up and he hissed a few Japanese words that Jesse didn't understand before spitting in his face. 

"Hmmm," Genji hummed dangerously as Jesse recoiled. "That wasn't very nice of you." He produced a knife from somewhere on his body, one even Jesse hadn't noticed, and took a menacing step forward. "We'll ask you again. Who," the knife found itself lodged just above the man's knee, "sent you?"

The man's screams drowned out the last words of Genji's question. Jesse hardly blinked, this wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. He put on his harshest face and drew his peacekeeper from his shoulder holster so the man could see it. 

When he stopped wailing and sweat started dripping down his face, he looked up into Genji's cold eyes and knew full well that this was just the beginning of what he would be put through. He mumbled something, but Genji's brow furrowed. He leaned forward and tapped at his ear. "One more time?"

But the man didn't get the chance to speak again. The pantry door was broken down and Daisuke and several other from the Shimada security outfit stepped into the small space. Genji stood quickly, whipping around to face Jesse, a look of betrayal painting his features.

Daisuke began barking orders, pointing at Jesse halfway through. "Get him out of here."

Jesse nodded and holstered his gun. He reached out for Genji, but the younger man turned on his heel and headed out of the room. Jesse couldn't help but roll his eyes before he turned back to gather the jacket he'd left behind. One of Daisuke’s men yanked Genji’s knife out of the man’s leg and handed it to Jesse. Not wanting to touch any of the blood, Jesse squirreled it away into one of the jacket pockets before he went back out to the main room to grab his hat. He saw the party being broken up, men directing clumps of gossiping elites to the doors; at least they'd have something spectacular to talk about at whatever function they went to next. 

Once outside, he found Genji already getting into the car that Nakaoka had waiting for them. Jesse just sighed and nodded to the driver as he climbed in as well. They were halfway back to Shimada Castle before Genji spoke.

"I can't believe you called them." He whined in English, glaring out the car window.

"Why? It's my job." Jesse retorted easily. "Ain't you ever heard the description for bodyguard before?"

Genji huffed, his lip curling. Unused to backtalk, Jesse imagined. "We could have taken him."

Jesse couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out, half amusement at the idea of the two of them beating information out of a rival, half balking at the sudden camaraderie Genji had conjured in his head. "It ain't about takin' anyone, sir. It's about the fact that your life was in danger and therefore mine was too, if I hadn't called my boss."

"I'm your boss," Genji threw back immediately.

"Your dad's my boss, kid." Jesse reminded him.

Genji just growled at that and returned to glaring out the window into the night, “You’re only two years older than me.”

When they arrived back to the grounds, Jesse followed as Genji made a beeline to his room, managing not to wince as he shut the door loudly behind him. With Daisuke's earlier warning still bouncing around his head, he lingered outside listening carefully for any indication that Genji would sneak out again. After twenty minutes of silence, he headed outside, walking the grounds around the main house just in case. Once he reached the entrance again, he could no longer ignore the odd growing guilt in his stomach, so Jesse decided to go back to his own quarters. He threw his hat and Genji's discarded jacket at his desk, pausing when he heard a thunk. He pat the jacket, and reached into the pocket where he'd slipped Genji's knife earlier. It wasn't very large, but it was enough. The hilt was molded into the shape of a dragon and there were etchings on the blade that followed the design, marred only slightly by now dried blood.

Jesse took in a breath and pulled out one of his spare cleaning cloths, settling on his bed for the night as he set about his task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot! I'm having a lot of fun with this fic so far and I hope you are too!
> 
> If you wanna come talk to me about this fic and the au, I'm @voidgay_ on twitter!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has reached the Mature rating! Drug and alcohol use, as well as some sexual content (eyes emoji).
> 
> Also, this chapter got published 110% because of Pug, she's the best and I love her!!!!
> 
> Enjoy, friends!

The next morning, Jesse reported to the security room. It was easy to fall into routine. Daisuke was waiting for him again, looking a bit more haggard than usual. Jesse briefly wondered when Daisuke ever found the time to sleep, but he was pretty sure the answer was that he didn’t.

"Good morning, Eastwood." Daisuke greeted him, all pleasantries and formalities, stretching out his hand for Jesse to shake. "Good call at the party last night. That man was from one of the rival crime families."

"Thank you, sir." Jesse said, a bit of pride warming his chest. He always did respond well to praise.

Daisuke nodded. "He's been dealt with and a message was sent. Shimada Sojiro sends his thanks." He took a breath and paused briefly. Something crossed his face-- exasperation with a touch of humour. "Green hair?"

Jesse simply shrugged and shook his head.

Daisuke rolled his eyes and sighed. "As far as I know, he has nothing on his schedule today. Right now he's in the training area of the grounds."

"He's already awake?" Jesse asked, almost incredulous. 

"Yes, he was up rather early today." Daisuke said, "You know where to find the training area?"

Jesse nodded and left the security room. He touched the weight in his pocket as he walked through the old hallways to the open air training area. He'd seen it plenty of times on the maps he'd studied, but the real thing was better than any schematics or pictures had been. Jesse took a quick moment to take in the view of Mount Fuji in the distance, bordered by bustling Hanamura, just far enough away to still be serene, before he walked further in to find Genji.

The youngest Shimada was seated in the middle of a practice ring, eyes closed and practice sword resting at his side. He was dressed in a tight black shirt and loose charcoal pants. There was an orange sweatband around his forehead, though that looked to be more an odd fashion choice than a necessity. It made his bangs stick up more than they naturally did. Jesse thought it was oddly charming. 

Jesse watched him for a few moments before he decided to sit on the edge of the ring. He took Genji's knife out of his pocket, clean now, and turned it over in his hands. He examined it again briefly before he leaned back and laid flat on the wood of the training ring. He heard Genji sigh.

"Go away." He ground out in English, refusing to make eye contact. 

"You know I can't do that." Jesse responded lazily, tilting his chin up so he could see the other man.

Genji glared at him through squinted eyes before he sighed again, though this one sounded much more frustrated. "You got in the way of me last night, I won't let you interrupt me again." He pushed himself up from his knees.

With a roll of his eyes, Jesse tilted his chin back down and looked back at the small knife in his hands. "I ain't doing nothing other than my job, you know. Keeping you safe, keeping you happy" 

A few heartbeats later, the tip of a practice sword hit his chin. He hadn't even heard Genji walk over, but now he was glaring down at him. "I don’t feel particularly happy.” 

Jesse merely raised an eyebrow, opting to correct himself, "Keeping your dad happy."

Genji tutted, rolling his shoulders before he pulled the practice sword away. He opened his mouth to retort, but his eyes finally landed on the knife in Jesse's hands. "Why do you have that? Did you clean it?"

Jesse sat up and reached out, offering the knife back. "I cleaned it up in case you wanted it back. It seemed kinda special." And maybe Jesse was a little sentimental. 

"Keep it," Genji huffed dismissively, looking away and over to a training dummy. 

"All right," Jesse frowned and watched Genji approach the middle training dummy. The younger man began going through different stances and routines of hitting the dummy and Jesse settled in to watch. 

There was a certain serenity here at Shimada Castle, one that Jesse hadn't known since before he'd been picked up by Deadlock. He couldn't ignore the sense of something sinister just below the surface, being that this was the headquarters of a criminal empire, but it was the poshest he'd ever seen. If he could avoid getting Sojiro's ire and keep this job in the face of Genji's efforts, then it might just be the cushiest job he'd ever been assigned. Comfortable bed, home cooked meals, stunning architecture—he looked over as Genji called out, hitting the dummy particularly hard—handsome mark. Yeah. He could get used to this.

Once Genji had worked up a sweat from sword exercises, he returned the practice sword to its stand and picked up something else. Jesse had to wait a moment before he saw Genji produce some shuriken, tossing them at the dummy with amazing accuracy. He began by throwing just one at a time and worked his way up to throwing two, the little bladed weapons sinking deep into the dummy with solid thunks. When he exhausted his ready supply, Genji moved forward to collect them from the dummy. Jesse could hear him muttering something about being able to throw three of them at a time someday.

"You ever try shooting a gun?" Jesse called out to him as he walked back to his starting position.

Genji scoffed. "Father doesn't want us handling guns. He says they do our heritage no service." He threw three more shuriken.

Jess frowned again. "But your security people have guns."

"They're not Shimadas." Genji retorted with another thunk in the dummy.

"Don't you guys sell guns?" Jesse asked, curiosity getting the better of him for the moment.

Genji paused and looked over at him, "How do you know that?"

"I used to run with a gang that dealt a lot in arms," Jesse said, trying to shrug nonchalantly, stubbornly ignoring the nervous sweat that had suddenly appeared on the back of his neck. He wouldn't be caught this early goddamnit. "And I did some digging on y'all before I applied to work here."

Genji returned his attention to the dummy. "You were in a gang?"

"Yes sir," Jesse stood and walked over to him, rolling up a black sleeve to reveal the Deadlock tattoo on his left forearm. "Marked for loyalty."

Genji paused again and looked at the tattoo out of the corner of his eye. He sniffed haughtily. "Quite the loyalty you've shown. Swinging from one gang to another. How do they feel about that?"

Jesse chuckled and hoped it didn't sound nervous. "They picked me up when I was too young to know better and didn't have much for a choice." He pushed his sleeve back down. "I grew up and figured out I didn't really like what I was involved with and went to find something better."

Genji's interest seemed to pique. "You left? Weren't there consequences?"

"No consequences when they can't find ya." He threw Genji a roguish smile.

Genji considered his words for a moment before nodding and going back to hurling shuriken. Jesse couldn't help but wonder if Genji had ever considered leaving this life before. Genji broke the silence, "I thought you didn't like this life?"

Jesse shrugged again, thinking back to the story Reyes had drilled into him. "This is just work while I try and get back on my feet. It's familiar. And besides, I'm not doing any dirty work, just babysitting a spoiled brat." He dodged the punch that came at him easily.

"I didn't choose this, either." Genji growled at him.

"Then leave?" Jesse suggested.

"I can't do that to my father." The younger man sighed. "Not after everything he's done to support me." He looked over to Jesse and eyed him for a second. "Besides, then there'd be no spoiled brat for you to babysit and you'd be out of job."

"True enough." There was a bit of an awkward lull between them and the feeling that just a bit too much information had been shared by both parties. When Genji had thrown all of his shuriken again, Jesse pulled out his revolver and offered it. "Did you want to try?"

Genji seemed to consider it for a second. "What's so great about shooting a gun anyway? Takes less skill."

Jesse grinned, eager to disagree, and turned toward the training dummy Genji had been using. He lined up his sights and shot six times, leaving a slightly smoking smiling face in the dummy. He glanced back at Genji to see his eyes wide and excited. "It's pretty fun."

Daisuke's voice suddenly came in over his communicator. "Eastwood! What was that?"

Jesse pressed the button to open communication. "A demonstration, sir. I'm sorry I didn't give prior warning." He only half listened to Daisuke's admonishment as Genji reached for the revolver.

"Okay, I want to try."

Jesse raised the gun above his head, out of reach of the shorter man. "I'll only teach you if you promise not to get me fired."

Genji glared at him, though it seemed to hold more of a challenge than any true irritation. He tried to grab the gun again, but Jesse raised it higher. Genji relented, a petulant expression tugging onto his features, "I’ll try my best."

And that was the best Jesse was going to get. Baby steps, he thought. 

* * *

"I'm coming to Japan."

Jesse stumbled as he was walking away from a curious looking Genji. The two of them were out on an impromptu trip to the mall three days after Genji had promised not to immediately get him fired. And 13 hours after Jesse had sent his first intelligence report back to Blackwatch. And now Reyes was on the phone with him. 

"Sir, is that really necessary?" Jesse asked in Spanish. He turned around and walked backwards away from Genji, Daisuke's warning always ringing in his ear. "I think I've got this handled."

"Look, kid, you got a bigger gig than any of us expected you to. If this goes tits up, I need to be there to back you up." Reyes explained, "It's not that I don't trust you. I put you on this op because you’re the most promising out of all my recruits, but I'm not gonna leave you out to dry."

"Yes sir." Jesse agreed, watching as a now out of earshot Genji frowned at a shirt.

"I'll be there in thirty-six hours." He sounded like he was already packing. "We'll be meeting face to face from now on, electronic correspondence is for emergencies only."

"Yes sir." 

"We'll rendezvous at a location of your choosing once I'm in the area. Send me the coordinates when you can. And mijo…" The rustling on Reyes' end of the call stopped. "Be careful until I get there."

"Si." Jesse shoved his phone in his pocket after Reyes hung up. He walked back over to where Genji was holding a different shirt up to himself in front of a mirror.

"Who was that?" He asked, meeting Jesse's eye in the mirror.

It took half a second for his brain to switch back to Japanese, but he managed. "Friend of mine." 

"I thought no one knew you were in Japan? Wasn't that the point of coming here?" Genji raised an eyebrow at him while putting the shirt back on the rack and pulling out another one.

"He still knows my phone number," Jesse shrugged and looked at his feet. "And…he helped me get out of Deadlock. So, I'm okay with him knowing where I am."

Genji eyed him for a moment before nodding and going back to picking out clothes.

Jesse looked around the shop. It was an odd, brightly colored boutique with clothing that looked unfit for the human form. Everything was cropped, asymmetrical, some things had straps that Jesse couldn’t imagine where they were supposed to go. And it was ungodly expensive, but that didn't seem to bother Genji in the least. The clerk looked bored behind the counter, flipping through an avant-garde fashion magazine while an obnoxiously bubblegum pop song blared over the speakers. There were a pair of girls near the front of the shop watching Genji closely, whispering behind their hands. One of them even had their phone out and seemed to be taking a pictures.

"Hey, uh," Jesse started in English, trying to keep an eye on the girls surreptitiously. "Are you like super popular around here?"

"Sort of," Genji replied with a shrug. "Why?" He looked at Jesse and Jesse inclined his head in the direction of the girls. Genji turned his gaze and caught the girls gawking. His stance changed almost immediately, a bit more relaxed as he smiled over at them. He waved, and they snapped a final picture before leaving, content with their spoils. 

"Huh," Jesse grunted, chewing on his lip. 

"Help me pick a shirt. I'm stuck between these two." 

"Why? Why would you want my opinion?" Jesse asked, looking down at his own boots.

"Because we're going out tonight, cowboy."

* * *

Nakaoka dropped them off downtown later that night. Genji was out of the car before it had even stopped at the curb. Nakaoka didn't look surprised by the behavior at all, but Jesse thanked him for the ride and scrambled out of the car to catch up with his over enthusiastic mark.

Genji padded over to a small group of brightly colored youths who all whooped at his hair the moment he stepped up. Genji was clad in black pants that weren’t leaving much to the imagination and stopped just below his navel. His shirt was orange, a little loose, but sleeveless. A touch of red eyeliner was at the inner corners of his eyes and along his waterline. To top everything off, his sneakers were orange and white and immaculate. Jesse decided on worn jeans, a navy tee-shirt, and his boots, much to Genji’s chagrin. 

Jesse did his best to keep up with what they were saying, but half of their Japanese was slang he hadn't heard before. So much for up-to-date intelligence. The group eyed him for a moment, but went straight back to ignoring him. He assumed they'd seen their fair share of poor bastards who had been assigned to Genji before and tried not to take it personally. Besides, he was muscle. He wasn't there to socialize; he was there to work.

With a shout and a hand in the air, Genji led the group farther into the city. They headed directly to a club, the pulsing music already audible from the street. Jesse half expected the bouncer to stop and card the group, but when he laid eyes on Genji, he waved them all through. The floor was already full of patrons, dancing along with the heavy beat of the music while bright colored lights flashed above them. One of Genji's group meandered off to head towards the bar while the others zeroed in on a seemingly empty table to commandeer. 

Jesse followed them, a beat behind, watching everything. He quickly memorized the layout of the club and tried to note the more secluded areas in the changing light. Nothing dubious yet. If anyone besides the bouncer had noticed a Shimada heir in the club tonight, they hadn't made it apparent.

The friend that had ventured to the bar returned with a tray of shots, layers of blue, pink, and purple within each glass, and the group rejoiced. Shots were placed in front of everyone at the table but Genji took an extra off the tray, offering it to Jesse. The cowboy raised his hands and shook his head. He couldn’t be drinking on the job. A moment later, he realized what a mistake that was, as Genji downed both glasses, holding eye contact with his bodyguard. 

Jesse watched as one of them pulled out a little baggie of fine white powder, taking a bump himself before passing it around. Genji took his with practiced ease, rubbing his teeth with his index finger when he was finished. His eyes were hazy and then sharply focused. He traced his fingertip along the rim of the empty shot glass, “Shall we dance?” 

Jesse didn’t respond because, obviously, the request wasn’t intended for him. Except it was. Genji turned his head, repeating the words, in case Jesse hadn’t heard over the music. The small group that had come in with Genji was already headed to the dance floor and so Genji grabbed the cowboy’s hand and dragged him to the center. 

When they were there, under the swirling lights that flickered between purple and white, Jesse felt Genji’s hands on his chest. Genji moved to the music, bouncing from the balls of his feet to his heels, hips swaying, and sang along to a song Jesse didn’t recognize. His eyes sparkled under the shifting lights and Jesse could feel his heart kick into overdrive. It really was unfair just how gorgeous his mark was. Were this even six months ago, he would have indulged, but it wasn’t. He had responsibilities.

“This isn’t really appropriate,” Jesse said, catching the younger man’s wrist. 

“Why not?” Genji asked, continuing to move. “I thought you wanted to keep an eye on me.” 

“I can do that from over there,” Jesse retorted, motioning to the table of empty glasses and white powder. “Just don’t go anywhere, okay?”

Genji shrugged, turned on his heels, going back to the group from earlier. Jesse excused himself, bumping into every single person of the dance floor as he tried to exit. He felt big and clumsy and stupid. Was Genji making fun of him? He stayed back, eyeing the dancefloor from the table. He could see everything from the elevated position. Genji, in his bright orange top, now holding another questionable beverage. He had his arm over someone’s shoulder but it didn’t worry Jesse none, because it was someone from the group who was approved by Daisuke. It didn’t bother him at all. Nope. Not one bit.

Another hour, and Jesse was tired. It was late, after all, and the loud music and the bright lights were exhausting. He went to the bar and asked if they had coffee. He turned around, his back resting against the bar as the bartender started to make his drink, and he tried to spot Genji from the new vantage point. But there was no sprout of green hair in the sea of bodies. He started to panic. He hurried back over to the table, still empty from their earlier escapades. He checked the bathroom, shouting Genji’s name, looking under the stalls for those tell-tale orange sneakers. Nothing.

Just as he was about to call Daisuke and admit defeat, he noticed a speck of green over the edge of a booth.  _ Genji. _ He ran over, relief pouring into him, the feeling of Reyes and Daisuke’s disappointment fading from his mind, when he noticed just exactly how Genji was sitting in the booth. 

As Jesse made his way around, his eyes winded. Genji’s thighs were straddling the man from earlier. He looked electric against the worn, red leather. His hips were moving, minutely, but his hands were frantic. They were under the man’s shirt scratching almost desperately at his skin. Genji’s eyes were shut as he slotted further into the kiss, his lips curling into a devious smile. The man beneath him, as indistinct as he was, whispered something to Genji and he laughed. All soft eyes and too big teeth. Jesse sighed, relieved for his safety, and maybe a small self-satisfied feeling he couldn’t name. Encouragement? The realization that maybe he had a chance if Genji felt so inclined? That maybe, if Genji preferred men, that included Jesse, too? 

That feeling faded quickly when Jesse had to ride in the limo with them back to Shimada Castle. He stared out the window as night faded into dawn and hoped the walls were thick. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, commenting and leaving kudos, y'all. It means so much. Sorry this chapter is a little late, but life comes at you fast. Thanks for sticking with it and being patient with me. I love you all!
> 
> And as always, feel free to come talk to me about this au or mcgenji in general on twitter, @voidgay_!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 is here! This one's rated T+ for more alcohol use. And as always, Pug is a literal angel for helping me out with these chapters ❤❤
> 
> I hope y'all like it!

Jesse didn’t exactly get a lot of sleep. The walls were thin, but his mind was racing. But why did he care so much? He was an undercover agent for Blackwatch and Genji was his mark. The more dubious positions Genji put himself into, the more intel Jesse would learn. He should be happy. 

When he padded into the kitchen the next morning, dressed in his uniform and dreaming about a pot of black coffee, he didn’t expect to see Genji. He checked his watch and realised it was three hours before Genji usually was awake. The younger Shimada was clad in an oversized shirt that wasn’t his and a pair of boxers. His socks almost came up to his knees. He was pouring himself a glass of orange juice and had the worst bedhead Jesse had ever seen, ignoring the fact that he found it incredibly endearing as well. Genji scratched his stomach, hitching the shirt up over his navel, revealing a line of black hair trailing into his underwear. Jesse decidedly didn’t notice.

“You’re up early.” Jesse said as he retrieved the coffee grounds from the cabinet. His jaw felt tense. He wanted to ask if Genji’s friend had left— for security purposes. But he didn’t. 

Genji shrugged his shoulders and took a seat at the table before he traced his fingertip across the grain in the bamboo top. “None of the staff are here yet.” 

Jesse leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, “Yeah, they probably already made your dad and brother breakfast and aren’t expecting you. Want me to call them?” 

“No,” Genji finished his juice. “I was wondering if you wanted to run an errand for me? I still need to shower.”

“Sure,” Jesse hummed. But when Genji asked for two donuts from his favorite bakery in town, Jesse was surprised. And pointedly displeased. When Jesse signed up to be Genji’s bodyguard, he wasn’t exactly expecting that part of his duties would include fetching breakfast for Genji’s overnight guests. But then again, he didn’t really sign up, did he? He wanted to protest, say Nakaoka was more than capable, but then he realized it would be a perfect opportunity to meet Reyes. So he agreed with a forced smile. 

Jesse was pulled from his self-deprecation when he heard the door to the bakery swing open. His lips twitched when he saw Gabriel Reyes enter, but otherwise didn't react. He swallowed the bite of donut he had in his mouth and looked back down at his phone while Reyes went to the counter to order something for himself before walking back to where Jesse was seated at the back of the dining room.

Reyes sat near him but didn't make eye contact when he spoke in hushed Spanish. "Pretty posh looking place, kid."

"Yeah, well, Genji’s pick" Jesse didn’t elaborate.

There was a brief pause when one of the pastry shop workers brought Reyes over his cheese danish and coffee. "You look pretty official with that communication set-up."

"What can I say? They're treating me pretty well." 

"Besides your mark trying to fire you?"

Jesse took in a breath, about to respond, formulating some kind of answer in his head that didn’t involve jealousy, when his phone vibrated. He frowned as he opened up the message from Genji: _ Hurry back.  _ As he picked up the small pink box of donuts on the table, Jesse glanced over at Reyes and nodded. "We'll have to continue this conversation later. I've gotta go make nice with Genji’s overnight guest."

As he knocked on the Genji’s bedroom door, holding a coffee for himself and the box of donuts, Jesse hoped they would at least both be decent. He sighed through his nose, scrunched his eyes, and forced himself to be professional. What would Gabe think if knew how conflicted Jesse was feeling? He would pull him from the field. That couldn’t happen. Being in this life again, even in an undercover capacity working for the good guys, reminded him how much he didn’t miss it. 

Genji opened in the door in black harem pants and a white v-neck. He pulled it back for Jesse to enter and Jesse couldn’t help but look around. The room was empty. Genji took the box from Jesse’s hands and sat on the edge of the bed. He removed the pink sprinkle donut from the box. “The jelly one is for you.” 

Jesse stood there dumbfounded. For him? He sat next to Genji, feeling a little guilty for the way he felt earlier. He took his donut from the box. It was the same one Jesse had ordered for himself this morning. Genji continued, “You seemed a little annoyed this morning. Donuts always cheer me up.” 

Jesse laughed. A low, amused chuckle. He felt relief in his veins but he pushed that feeling from his mind. What was he thinking? Genji was his mark, and one who had told him to his face that he hated being babysat. There had to be an ulterior motive.

“And I wanted you to be in a good mood so I could ask you a favor.” Genji said, wicked grin on his lips. “You think we could take your gun to the practice range today?” 

* * *

"No, stop." Jesse instructed yet again.

Genji growled and dropped his shoulders, glaring hopelessly back at him. "What?"

"Stop locking your joints." Jesse told him for the fourteenth time in the last thirty minutes. "And stop tensing your shoulders so much. When I put bullets in there you're gonna hurt yourself." He went to move forward but paused, looking earnestly at Genji. "May I?"

Genji looked him up and down. "Yes." 

Jesse stepped behind the younger man and into his personal space. Genji just barely came up to his chin, and though he was bulky with muscle, Jesse would easily wrap his arms around him. Instead, Jesse reached for Genji's left hand, bringing the gun up to eye level. 

"All right, you've got a good solid stance. Bring your other arm up to support the one holding the gun." Genji followed his words precisely, and so begrudgingly Jesse released his wrist. He leaned forward so that his head was level with Genji's. "Your shoulders are tense again. Take a deep breath and move until the notch is aligned with your target." Genji tilted his head to the side, the ends of their hair brushing. Jesse pointedly ignored it. "Now, use just your index finger to pull the trigger." There was a small click as the hammer pulled back on the revolver and shot forward again. "There ya go."

Jesse could see the twist of Genji's perfect lips from the side as he smirked. With a self-satisfied puff of laughter, Genji relaxed his body and leaned into Jesse's chest. He turned his head and met Jesse's gaze. "Do I get a reward?" 

Jesse's mouth went dry. Genji couldn't  _ really  _ be flirting with him, could he? After that little stunt last night? After they shared donuts this morning? Was this just another tactic to try and get him fired? 

But Genji did seem to slot perfectly against his chest. He was warm and solid and Jesse hadn’t been laid since he joined Blackwatch. Not that he was thinking about that. He definitely wasn’t thinking about that. 

"Genji!" Their reverie was broken by the sound of Hanzo shouting across the training area.

Jesse jumped and stood up at attention, military training coming to bite him in the ass yet again. He took a wide step away from the other man before he relaxed again and watched Genji scowl at his brother.

"What?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Hanzo hissed as he walked towards them.

Genji glanced at the gun in his hand, “Learning a new skill."

"You know that’s not what I meant." Hanzo told him, glaring over at Jesse. 

"Then what exactly did you mean, brother?" Genji growled, handing Jesse back his revolver. "What did I do to disappoint you this time?"

Hanzo's gaze shifted back to Genji, though the poisonous look didn't change. "We have tradition, Genji. We have—" He glanced again at Jesse and Jesse frowned, doing his best not to be offended. "Standards to uphold." Hanzo took a step toward his brother. "Your actions reflect me, too. You realize that don't you? You think father hasn’t seen pictures from your escapades last night?"

"And what of it?" Genji rolled his eyes.

"How will it look to the elders if I cannot even control my own brother?" Hanzo asked, face tingeing red with frustration. "How will I be able to effectively run our clan if they question my decisions? If my own brother is sleeping with the hired help?"

Genji's own frustration seemed to get the better of him. He took an aggressive step forward as well, his voice rising with every word. "We can’t all be empty shells following the clan’s orders, Hanzo. Mom understood that!"

Hanzo's hand whipped out and slapped Genji across face with a loud crack that echoed throughout the training area. Jesse responded automatically, grabbing Genji's arm and putting himself between his mark and their assailant. Hanzo recoiled, though whether it was from Jesse's insolence or intimidation was unclear.

"I think that's enough for today." Jesse said, his voice low and tinted with the hint of a threat.

"This does not concern you." Hanzo spat.

"I believe it does." Jesse retorted. "I'm simply following your father's orders to protect your brother. So I think we're done."

Hanzo glared daggers at him. He glanced at Genji around Jesse's shoulder before growling to himself and heading back towards the main house.

Once the older Shimada was out of sight, Jesse turned back to Genji, unable to hide the concern on his face when he saw a bruise already forming on the younger man's cheek. He lifted his hand to touch the reddened flesh but he stopped himself. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Genji answered, although the words were forced. He pushed past Jesse and headed towards the main house. "Get ready to go," he said, without looking back. "We're going out again."

Jesse let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging as adrenaline left his veins. This was definitely going in the next Blackwatch report, a power difference like this could cause a rift in the clan in the future, something Blackwatch would be eager to know. But first, he had to tell Daisuke, if only to save his own ass from being accused of not watching Genji close enough. He walked straight to the office hoping his boss would be there before Genji left the grounds. Thankfully, the man was waiting for him at the door.

"Sir—" Jesse started, ready to plead his case, but Daisuke shook his head.

"I saw, Eastwood." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned up against the doorway. "I appreciate you stepping in, the two of them have gotten into serious fights before. They both have enormous tempers. Genji at least has found outlets, but Hanzo…" A look of genuine concern crossed Daisuke's face before he stood up straight and the emotion was gone again. "Go. Make sure Genji's not alone tonight."

Jesse nodded and hurried to the garage to tell Nakaoka to bring the car around. Genji made it to the car a few moments later, glaring hotly at his phone. Genji had dressed hastily, though it was still nicer than most things in Jesse’s closet, in his green varsity jacket and pink graphic tee. This time, his sneakers were white and pristine. 

The drive into town was silent and heavy. Jesse felt like he should say  _ something _ , reassurance or comfort or anything else that would fill the void, but he came up short. It wasn’t his place. Genji was his mark. He was surprised when they arrived to the part of downtown they had been last night. Genji’s friends were waiting on the curb in the same neon clothes. Jesse couldn't help but notice that the man Genji had brought home wasn’t one of them. He waved to Nakaoka before following the trio to a new club, this one somehow even worse.

This venue was dark with nicotine stained walls. Genji didn’t say much, a stark change from the night before when he and his group had chattered endlessly. The two friends with him tonight had caught onto the difference immediately and started giving him a wider berth by the time they found a table and simply talked amongst themselves. Genji ordered three rounds of shots for all of them. Jesse downed two, thrown off by the day's events and needing something to center himself, and worried that if he didn’t, Genji would drink all of it himself. He watched carefully as Genji’s friends went to the dancefloor without him. As they left, he grabbed Jesse’s remaining shot and threw it back.

“Aren’t you going to join them?” Jesse asked, only a hint of concern in his voice. He wasn’t quite ready to believe Genji would rather be sitting here with him than forgetting himself in the crowd of bodies on the floor. 

The green haired Shimada ignored him for a moment and ordered a draft from the waitress as she walked by before lighting a cigarette. He held it carefully between his lips, talking with it nonchalantly, the white stick bobbing beneath his cupid’s bow, “I don’t feel like dancing.” 

Jesse looked out into the sea of people and saw that Genji’s friends had already forgotten about him. They acted as if they were only friends with him for his money and access. Jesse didn’t want to think that was true. When Genji’s drink arrived, he nursed it slowly, waiting for the shots to kick in. Jesse wanted to say something again. Say that getting drunk wasn’t the answer. But maybe he would learn something, get some intel for Blackwatch, make Reyes proud. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this would all end badly for him. 

After Genji’s second beer, he tossed some yen on the table. And by Jesse’s estimation, it was more than enough. “Let’s get out of here,” Genji slurred in English, wavering a bit as he stood. 

"All right," Jesse agreed, slinging an arm around the younger man to help keep him upright. He looked around the floor for Genji's friends and saw they had already moved onto another group and another round of shots. He shook his head. "I'll call Nakaoka."

"No!" Genji whined as they started walking, grabbing Jesse's arm. “I don’t want to go home.” 

Jesse frowned and nodded, his arm tightening around Genji. "Where do you usually go when you're plastered, kid?"

"Mmmm, hotel." Genji said, looking like it was taking monumental effort to think.

Jesse looked around the immediate area and huffed out a sigh. "There's a couple around here, Genj, which one?"

Genji groaned into Jesse's shoulder and raised his head again. He squinted at the buildings around them and finally pointed at one of the hotels two blocks away. It was mostly glass and had crystal chandeliers gleaming from inside the lobby. When they finally managed to stumble their way to the front, the doorman hopped to attention, opening both sets of doors for them. Jesse could hear some of the staff murmuring the Shimada name as he helped Genji to the counter.

The woman behind the counter gave a slight bow and addressed Jesse. "Should I get him his usual room?" She asked, with a small smile on her face.

Jesse stared at her for a moment, a bit dumbstruck at her question. How often did Genji have to come here for the concierge to know and have a room reserved just for him? He also wondered how much the hotel itself was being paid off for the entire staff to know Genji's face and not let it slip that one of the Shimada heirs was only here because he had partied too hard. "Yes, please." 

The woman typed on her computer and gave Jesse the room key. One of the bell boys led Jesse to the elevator and hit the button for one of the top floors. The elevator brought them to a penthouse suite. It was modern and posh, with a marble and monochrome design. Jesse couldn't help but stare, slack jawed, for a moment until Genji groaned again and clutched at his stomach. Jesse sighed; there would be time to be unreasonably jealous about their difference in upbringing when he wasn't holding Genji above a toilet.

* * *

Jesse woke up hours before Genji the next morning. He sent a message to Daisuke, letting him know where they were and what had happened once they'd left. Daisuke thanked him in a moment of sincerity that Jesse almost found confusing; but when Genji mumbled in his sleep, Jesse couldn't help but remember Reyes staying by his side when he was first recruited into Blackwatch and kicking a nasty coke habit. 

He ordered the Western style breakfast for himself and moved to the balcony where he could smoke. He scrolled through the updates on the eyepiece on his communicator before turning to his phone for more general news. When his food finally arrived, he was surprised but certainly not disappointed. He tucked into his natto and rice topped with two fried eggs and a plate of bacon and sausage. Apparently, western style meant western portions but he wasn’t complaining. Eventually, Genji stirred, groaning as he held his head when he managed to sit up. Jesse pushed a packet of ibuprofen and a bottle of water toward him across the bedside table. Genji frowned at them for a second before he took them.

After downing the entire bottle in one go, Genji turned to him. "You're here?" He panted, sounding confused.

Jesse shrugged. "'Course I am." He replied, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in. "You were shitfaced last night. Would've been a burden on my conscience to just leave you to yourself.  _ Someone _ needs to look after ya."

Genji stared at the floor for a minute. "Thanks." 

"Payin' it forward, I guess." Jesse said. There were a few heartbeats of silence before he spoke again. "I already ate, so, get whatever you want. I told Daisuke it might still be a few hours before we're back."

Genji picked up the hotel phone and wedged it between his ear and shoulder, "Don't get too comfortable when we get back." He said, looking over the room service menu in his hands. “I think it's time for a vacation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I'm gonna work hard to try and post a chapter a week, but I am adjusting to a new job and sometimes that depression hits hard u feel. 
> 
> And thank you for your comments and kudos and subscriptions, it really means a lot!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 5!! Rating for this week is still T+ for alcohol use (gotta love these boys.....)
> 
> I had a lot of help from my friends on this chapter, so those late nights we spent talking in psn chat, thanks guys, you're the absolute best.
> 
> Enjoy!!

They spent most of the day at the hotel, Genji staunchly refusing to return to the Castle grounds. He went so far as to call Nakaoka to bring them both a suitcase for travel. Jesse relayed to Daisuke the change in plans and felt a surge of pride as they both commended Genji’s stubbornness. But Daisuke wished him luck, telling him that only a few bodyguards had made it to or passed vacation. Before they left the hotel, Jesse sent a heads up to Reyes, letting him know they wouldn't be near Shimada Castle for a few days. The man’s answer was puzzling but Jesse didn’t dwell on it. After picking up their luggage, Nakaoka brought them to a small airport where a Shimada private jet was waiting for them. 

"Hey, Genji," Jesse asked as he hauled both of their bags across the tarmac. "Where we headed?" He was getting tired of being the last to know things.

"Miyajima." Genji responded, a bounce finally back in his step. The color was returning to his cheeks. He turned and threw Jesse a lopsided smile. "Just far enough away, but not so much that father is gonna be pissed I didn't give him the heads up. We have plenty of connections there, anyway." He spun around again as he tramped up the stairs into the jet as Jesse made a mental note to put in his next Blackwatch report. "What do you think, John? Have you ever been in a private jet before?"

Jesse flinched when Genji used his false name with a sense of familiarity. A twinge of guilt, maybe. "Ah, sorta." Jesse admitted. He wondered if Overwatch jets that dropped him off behind enemy lines counted.

Genji seemed to accept the non-answer at least. The younger man found one of the cream colored leather seats and plopped himself down. The pilot met Jesse to help him stow the bags before he took the seat across from Genji. The jet was posh, like everything surrounding Genji seemed to be. Leather interior with cherry wood accents, a well-stocked bar. Jesse was almost surprised when Genji didn't take advantage of the alcohol access but the flight ended after only an hour, which Jesse appreciated. He didn't much like these small planes, Overwatch or not.

Much to Jesse's surprise, there was a car waiting for them when they arrived. His work phone buzzed with a message from Daisuke telling him that he had contacted a few people in Miyajima to have as backup. Genji didn't seem to be any kind of phased and headed right over to the man waiting for them. Jesse used his longer legs to his advantage and managed to slip in front of Genji as they walked up to him.

"Daisuke sent you?" Jesse asked, his voice and expression hard. The man nodded and bowed slightly to the both of them. 

Genji returned it before opening the door and sliding into the back seat. He nudged Jesse in the ribs once he was seated next to him. "See? It was fine." He muttered in English.

"And what if it hadn't been?" Jesse shot back, sending a quick text to Daisuke that they had met his driver and were en route to the hotel.

Genji laughed lightly and pulled out his own phone. He glanced over at Jesse and flashed him a smile, causing Jesse's heart to nearly flutter out of his chest. "We could have taken him." And Jesse thought maybe, that was true. 

* * *

Apparently there was only one hotel the Shimada family stayed at when they were in Miyajima. And it was yet another hotel that the staff recognized Genji, green hair and all, the second he walked in. Jesse couldn't shake the feeling that this much street recognition for a family of criminals was the opposite of productive. But what did he know, really? He spent the entirety of his gang life running from the law and now he was in covert ops in the world's only international military force. If he thought about it long enough, there were probably plenty of times it would've helped Deadlock out tremendously to have more than a few people in their pocket.

The hotel was on the traditional side, though it was seamlessly integrated with a modern style. It sat on the beach and was attached to a hot spring. Jesse could see as they were taken to their room that there was a lush garden with a stone path through it as well. As far as Jesse could tell, this was fucking heaven.

If Jesse had to guess, theirs was probably among fanciest rooms in the hotel. There was a living space with a bedroom off to the side and a view that looked directly onto the beach. The sun was already getting low in the sky and Jesse could guess that once it started dipping below the horizon, it would be one of the prettiest sights in the world. Jesse brought their bags into the bedroom and paused when he finally realized.

"Question." He said, staring. "There's only one bed?"

Genji poked his head around the corner. "Oh, yeah." He shrugged and glanced behind him at the rest of the room. "This is the room I usually get. It’s never been just me before, the concierge must have assumed." He waved his hand, as if shooing away a minor inconvenience. "I'm sure there's a futon around here somewhere for you to use."

Jesse sighed heavily, not fully believing that this was entirely the concierge's fault. He was bumped towards the living area while Genji started pulling his shirt off. Jesse turned away quickly, frowning at the heat that was suddenly spreading over his face, to let Genji change in peace. Jesse went to his own suitcase to swap his button down shirt from the night before to a dark t-shirt. He smiled when he saw Nakaoka had packed Jesse's hat as well. He flipped it onto his head and sat in one of the chairs that was at the table that was in the living area. Genji emerged some time later, clad in tight, light grey jeans with a white graphic tee underneath a bright green jacket. Complete with his red eyeliner and the white sneakers he'd arrived in, Genji's eager expression quickly turned to a frown.

"The hat? Really?" He groused in English, shoulders drooping.

"Hey, I could be wearing a bunch of obnoxious colors as well," Jesse quipped as he stood. Genji just stared at him, unamused. Jesse gave him a wide grin and nudged him. "Aw c'mon, sweetheart. You said this was vacation."

Genji seemed to accept this. Jesse just shook his head and followed along as Genji walked towards the door, talking about dinner. 

Once they were out of the hotel, Genji adjusted his stride so that they were walking together, instead of Genji a beat ahead. They walked in silence as Jesse wondered at the scenery. Coming from the Southwest, Jesse didn't get much time to see places that were surrounded by full, lush trees. Or places that had such obvious history right next to modern buildings. Now that he had the time to really look at little details, he could honestly say he liked it. 

They made it to the restaurant and were seated immediately, much to the annoyance of about half a dozen others waiting in line. The wait staff and chef seemed to know Genji as well, though none of them even really seemed to acknowledge Jesse. At least until Genji ordered drinks for the both of them. It wasn't anything fancy, just mugs of Sapporo, but it was enough for them to ask for his order instead of treating him like he was simply there to work.

When their drinks arrived, Jesse chewed his lip as he considered the frothing mugs of beer "Ya know, even though you bought this for me and got the wait staff to actually pay attention to me, I  _ am _ still technically working." He said in English.

Genji rolled his head over to the side to look at Jesse. "What did you tell me earlier? We are on vacation. Enjoy it." He picked up his glass and clinked it with Jesse's before he took a long drink.

And really, who was Jesse to argue with that?

* * *

When they returned to the hotel, pleasantly drunk, Genji insisted that they visit the hot spring. He said something about his muscles being sore from the flight but Jesse recalled them being on a plush, private jet for only an hour. Not that he could argue; Genji was the Shimada heir and he was only the bodyguard. He politely excused himself to pee and get changed, and Genji looked puzzled, but allowed Jesse to return to the room. His work phone rang and he wedged it between his ear. “Hello?” 

“Eastwood.” Daisuke said, staunch professionalism with a touch of concern. 

“Yeah?” Jesse returned, sitting at the edge of Genji’s bed, trying to get his jeans off his hips. The button wouldn’t cooperate and he whined in frustration. 

Across the line, there was a beat. And then, “Are you drunk?” Jesse felt his cheeks burn. 

“No, no. No definitely not. We just got back from dinner.” He couldn’t get fired now. Not with Genji just starting to trust him. Not with Gabe just arriving in Hanamura. Not with Hanzo becoming a looming shadow. Another pause. Another moment of losing the fight with his jeans. 

“Don’t do anything stupid,” was the only advice Daisuke had to offer.

Jesse had never been to a hot spring before. He clomped down the stairs, hat and boots and swimming trunks, and felt the air begin to warm. It was wet on his lungs. He opened the bamboo door and the steam wafted from the opening. He slid in quickly, stepping onto a small platform that was surrounded by crystal blue water. And within that, Genji sat, completely naked. His cheeks were flushed pink, from the heat and the alcohol. 

Genji looked up, a frown setting on his lips. “You don’t wear trunks, John.” He said as if was the most idiotic thing he had ever heard in his life. “You’re supposed to be naked.” 

Jesse looked mortified. This wasn’t exactly in the job description. Getting naked with his mark wasn’t exactly what he was picturing on this undercover mission. Genji laughed, pointing over to a stack of towels, “You can use one of those for— modesty.” Of which Genji seemed to have very little. 

Jesse kicked his boots into the shoe cupboard. He placed his hat carefully on top before sliding his trunks off his hips. He felt exposed. No gun, no phone, no underwear. He grabbed a modesty towel and pressed it to his front. It wasn’t exactly big enough. He turned around, and was met with Genji’s gaze. The younger man was sitting at the edge of the water, his arms crossed around the stone, making direct eye contact with Jesse’s lower half. “Do you mind?” Jesse asked, toes curling in embarrassment. 

“No,” Genji said, smiling as if he had done nothing wrong. “Can you grab me a towel, too?” 

Jesse was pleased with this development. He grabbed another towel before sinking into the water. He handed the white cloth to Genji while keeping his in place under water. He sat on a concrete bench beneath the water and he just began to relax. Genji took the towel gratefully before wrapping it around his hair. Jesse could have spit. 

“You’re just fucking with me, aren’t you?” Jesse asked, in crude English, accent and all. 

“Maybe,” Genji said, leaning closer, their thighs brushing. “But you like it.” 

And the worst part was, that he did. 

* * *

The next two days went along similarly. They walked around the town while Genji shopped and Jesse enjoyed seeing the sights. They ate at fancy restaurants and sipped expensive spirits. It was the most relaxing time Jesse had ever had in his life, and the fact that it was with the heir of a criminal empire that he had been sent to spy on didn't escape him. But a long weekend where he didn't have to worry about mentally marking down every single Shimada step and not have to worry about being fired was a nice change. And he wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone, but spending one on one time with Genji was a hell of a lot better than spending time with Genji while he was worried about his family.

After another long day of shopping and feeding deer, they returned to their hotel room. Genji flopped down on the bed, shopping bags falling to the bamboo floor, with a loud sigh. Jesse followed him halfway into the bedroom, smirking down at his friend. He paused, his smirk disappearing.  _ Was  _ Genji his friend? When had his own thinking changed? He'd always been good at keeping himself separated from his work, this shouldn't have been any different. Sure Genji was handsome and sure Jesse hadn't been laid in forever, but he wasn't a horndog. He could control his urges, control his emotions.

"What are you thinking about, John?" Genji asked as he stretched on his bed. "You've got such a frown on your face."

Jesse looked over to him and schooled his features. "Aw, nothing, sweetheart."

Genji rolled over onto his side and propped himself up on his hand. "Is it me?" He asked with a sly smile and a waggle of his eyebrows. 

Jesse sighed and fought off the urge to smirk. "What if it was?"

Genji's smile widened deviously. "Well then, we might have to do something about that."

"And just what did you have in mind?" Jesse asked, playing along. He didn't budge from where he was leaning against the doorway. He pretended his heart wasn't beating a million miles a minute at the prospect of doing  _ anything _ with Genji. Excitement coiled just under his chest.

Genji pushed himself up gracefully from the bed. He stepped carefully forward, pausing just before he entered Jesse's personal space. When Jesse didn't move, didn't back away, he took it as an invitation and closed the gap between them. He placed his arms on Jesse's shoulders and looked up at him, heat and mischief in his eyes. 

"I had a few ideas." He admitted leaning into Jesse's chest. "Just one thing." He paused as he let one hand trail down Jesse's chest. "You have to kiss me first."

Jesse felt a blush crawl up his face as his breath caught in his throat. He had to swallow before he could speak. "You just want me to make the first move, don’t ya?"

"Maybe," Genji said with a coy twist of his lips and a lift of one shoulder. "Isn't that how chivalry works? Maybe I want to be swept off my feet."

Jesse couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I ain't been doing much for wooing, seeing as I've been working the whole time, Genj."

Genji smiled, "But John, we're on vacation."

Before a rational thought passed through his mind, before he could stop his body from reacting, before he could recall Daisuke’s warning of not doing anything stupid, Jesse leaned down and pressed his lips to Genji's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Your continued support means the world to me. All the subscriptions and bookmarks and kudos and comments really help keep me motivated and bringing you the best content I can. I love you all so much, honestly!
> 
> As always, feel free to come yell at me about our ridiculous boys over on Twitter, @voidgay_!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 is finally here!! So so sorry about the wait, y'all, but the past two weeks have been tumultuous at best. This chapter's rating is M for sexual content, but just until the first page break, so skip if you need to~
> 
> As per request: Given and Blurred should definitely skip that.
> 
> The biggest thanks ever in the entire world for Pug. She's been nothing but a fucking saint through all of this. And wrote the spicy part. Go tell Pug you love her.
> 
> Enjoy my friends!

The kiss was chaste to begin with. For a brief second, Jesse almost thought Genji would be content with just the kissing. But then Genji’s hand found its way into his hair and knocked his hat off of his head and Jesse couldn’t help himself. His arms unfolded and wrapped around Genji’s torso, pulling them flush against each other’s bodies. They broke apart a few moments later, both desperate for air, yet just as eager to meet in the middle again.

Jesse couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips when Genji wrapped his arms around his neck again, hugging him tightly. Lord God above, but it had been years since Jesse had simply been _held_ , and in that moment he couldn’t ignore his need for human contact. It would take a mighty force to get him to stop now.

Of course, when Genji threw a leg up over his hip, Jesse’s thoughts shifted real quick. His hands headed south, lifting Genji up off the ground and causing the younger man to gasp against his mouth.

“Getting excited?” Genji breathed in his ear as Jesse kissed his way down Genji’s neck. “Bring me to bed,” Genji whispered, and the request went straight to Jesse’s crotch.

Jesse adjusted his grip on the younger man and stepped forward into the bedroom. Jesse leaned down to place Genji on the bed and Genji settled against the sheets, legs parted and lower lip wet. Jesse inhaled a deep breath. Was this really happening? He asked himself as he kicked his boots aside. Was this a mistake? He pulled the jeans off his hips and pulled his shirt up and over his head, then placed a knee on the bed. Genji met him halfway, a hand guiding his head down, their lips connecting for another kiss. If it felt this good, it couldn’t be wrong— right? Jesse leaned further down, placed a hand on other side of Genji’s head and deepened the kiss. It was still slow, slow and languid, like they had all the time in the world. Genji felt like fire under Jesse’s palms, like a swirling flame that he couldn’t quite grasp. There was something in the quirk of his mouth, the way he kissed with teeth and tongue, that made it feel like Genji wanted something.

“Can you get on your back?” Genji asked, sliding out of his shirt and his pants. Jesse was already breathless, hard and straining against his boxers but eager for more. Eager for whatever Genji was planning in that wicked little mind of his. With Jesse lying against the pillows, cheeks red and thighs trembling, Genji made quick work. He slid Jesse's boxers off and threw Jesse's leg around his middle before sliding down. He hitched Jesse’s knee over his shoulder. His gaze shifted up and he paused when he met Jesse's eye. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Jesse asked, dumbfounded.

“Like I’m special or something.” Genji retorted and he actually looked embarrassed.

“But—“ Jesse didn’t know what to say. That Genji was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen? That he’s been thinking about this since the first night in the club? That it was those eyelashes and too big teeth that were going to be his undoing? That he was praying to God that Reyes wouldn't be upset when he found out? Or that Daisuke never would, fuck.

But then there was a mouth around his cock and it was good. _Really_ good. Wet and hot with a tongue swirling around his head. And it was a little too much to quickly and then not enough. Genji pulled back slightly, a hand around the shaft, his tongue traced a vein along the side. He gave it a few experimental pumps and watched Jesse’s face for a reaction. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Jesse barely got out. “I’m okay.”

“You’ve gotten one of these before, right?” Genji asked, a nervous hilt to his voice.

“Yeah, yeah, ‘course,” Jesse drawled, “Been awhile. And you’re really good.” That seemed to please Genji. He eased back down, hollowed his cheeks, and pressed forward until Jesse was hitting the back of his throat. It didn’t take much. Jesse was large, and he knew it, but if Genji ever had any sort of gag reflex it was long gone. “Genji,” Jesse said, voice high pitched and breathy. There was no response. “Genji?” He tried again, reached down, and grabbed Genji by the hair at the nape of his neck and tugged. That certainly did the trick.

Genji popped off with a groan, a sound that made Jesse’s toes curl. There was a line of spit between Genji’s lower lip and Jesse’s head. “What?” The younger Shimada asked, as if he didn’t just have a cock down his throat.

Jesse reached down and squeezed himself at the base, “I’m not gonna last if you keep doing that, darlin’.”

Sitting upright, Genji placed himself on Jesse’s hips again. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “All right,” he sighed, an almost-pout pulled across his lips. “I don’t really have any toys with me since Nakaoka packed my bag. He wasn’t kind enough to add a strap-on.” As he spoke, Genji started running his hands across Jesse’s chest. He was broader than Genji, lean muscle from a life on the run and training under Blackwatch’s guidance. But Genji wasn’t small, either. He had a wide chest and large shoulders, a tapered neck and waist. A soft cupid’s bow and a healthy happy trail. Jesse thought he was perfect in every way.

“What do you want?” Genji asked with half-lidded eyes. He looked barely tussled but Jesse was wrecked.

“I want you,” Jesse answered easily. As if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

That got a laugh out of Genji. “Okay,” he said, voice dropping an octave. “But how?”

They settled with Jesse sitting against the headboard and Genji in his lap. It didn’t take much prep, just a condom and a liberal amount of lube. Jesse didn’t want to think about who packed it. Genji positioned himself with practiced ease and settled face to face with Jesse. Genji’s fingertip caught the other’s man’s lower lip, “This okay?”

Jesse caught Genji's hand and kissed the inside of his wrist. "Very okay."

It was more than okay, it was fucking _perfect_. Genji sank down, inch by inch, keeping his thighs pressed tightly around Jesse’s hips. The older man was pinned under Genji’s weight, his fingernails digging helplessly into Genji’s waist as he bottomed out. And when he started moving, Jesse could see stars. They built a pace like that. Jesse lifting his hips to meet Genji’s bouncing form. The sound of skin against skin filled the room. Jesse could smell sweat and sex and he could feel himself getting close.

Genji was a tease. He lifted himself all the way onto his knees for settling back down, moving his hips, accommodating Jesse’s curve. He reached down and fingered his clit, chasing his own orgasm, slowing his ministrations but that just wasn’t good enough for Jesse. Not when he was this close. Not when he could just—

Jesse shifted to his knees, holding Genji securely by his waist, and flipped them. He pressed the shorter man into the bed and crawled on top of him. From here, he could set the pace. Find a better angle. Chase after what _he_ wanted.

It seemed Genji liked it, too, from the way his eyes widened and his lips twitched upward. He hitched his legs over Jesse’s shoulders and curled his toes as Jesse started moving again. The younger man was exposed like this. Exposed and loving it. He was finally flustered now, his cheeks reddening and Jesse’s name falling from his tongue like a staccato beat. Of course, it was the wrong name. Genji groaned as Jesse stopped again.

"Sweetheart," Jesse panted, bringing a hand up to Genji's cheek.

" _What_?" Genji hissed, frustrated, desperate for release.

Jesse hesitated for a moment. "Would you call me Jesse? Please?"

For a heartbeat, it seemed like Genji was going to make some sort of joke, a quip about kinks, but he paused as well and really looked into Jesse's face. He put his own hand on Jesse's and nodded. "Yeah, I can do that." He said softly.

Jesse leaned forward and Genji's legs fell from his shoulders. They kissed, their movement together conveying all the thanks Jesse could muster. As they broke apart, he began to move again and Genji wrapped his legs around Jesse's waist.

Jesse’s hands were large. Large enough that he could hold Genji in place and flick his thumb across Genji’s clit. That was enough. In a few more thrusts, they were both tumbling over the edge, this time Jesse's actual name falling from Genji's lips.

As he came down, trying to catch his breath, he placed his elbows on either side of Genji’s head, pressing his forehead to Genji's. He was reluctant to pull out though he was softening in the condom. Genji hummed happily, tilting his chin up and placing a soft kiss to the older man’s lips. Jesse could taste himself on Genji’s tongue and it sent another shiver down his spine.

“You actually have some backbone,” Genji said, watching Jesse grab the condom by the base before pulling out. Jesse stood on wobbly legs to throw it into the nearest bin.

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asked as he collapsed back onto the bed in a huff. Genji curled up into his side.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Genji said, his lips trailing down Jesse’s neck before he passed to nip at his collarbone. “You weren't like the others. They always let me do whatever the fuck I want. Not that I dislike that," Genji made sure he clarified. "But I didn't think _you_ would make a move and take control. You can do more than just take orders." He chewed on his lip for a moment before he added, "I liked it.”

Jesse felt his face heat up awfully as he thought about what Genji said. "Fuck. I…we…did that." He said. Genji looked up at him and nodded. Jesse squeezed his eyes closed, pulled a pillow over his head and groaned. The reality of what had just happened actually sinking in. He was _fucked_. In every sense of the word. “I need a shower.”

* * *

They packed up the next day, Genji going about his tasks as if nothing had happened. Jesse however, was a wreck inside. His mind never stopped racing while they checked out and headed to the airport. Would he be able to hide this from Daisuke? Reyes? Hanzo? Fuck, from _Sojiro_? Would Genji use it against him when he decided he was bored with him and have him fired? How soon would that be? Next week, tomorrow, in six hours?

"Jesse?"

The older man jumped when he heard his name. His real name. He looked up to find Genji frowning at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Jesse responded, shifting in his seat on the jet. "I'm fine."

Genji's expression shifted to something more amused. "It's not weird that I call you Jesse is it? Unless it's just a sex thing?"

Jesse chuckled nervously, hoping the Shimada pilot couldn't overhear anything. "Nah, it's fine, sweetheart. I like it." He threw Genji a smile, hoping it would ease both of them.

They spent the rest of the flight quietly. Genji played on his phone, completely at ease, while Jesse suffered in silence. His mind continued its cyclical thoughts even after they landed. Nakaoka waited for them on their little secluded section of the tarmac and Jesse couldn't help the blush that crawled up his face.

Genji elbowed him in the ribs as they walked side-by-side to the car. "Be cool." He whispered, eyeing him surreptitiously. "You think you're the first bodyguard I've fucked? Nakaoka expects it by now, why do you think he packed condoms?"

Genji's words only caused Jesse to blush harder and he avoided eye contact with the Shimada driver at all costs when they put the luggage in the trunk of the car. Genji chatted with Nakaoka while they drove back, asking him if anything exciting happened while they were gone, if Hanzo had calmed down. Jesse, however, used the time to pull out his personal phone to send a text to Reyes, informing him that they were on their way back. Reyes requested a meeting in the morning and Jesse agreed before slipping is phone back into his pocket. He sighed and resigned himself to a breakfast full of dodging questions about fucking his mark.

The two young men had hunkered down in the back seat of the car during the drive, but as they pulled up to the castle, Genji sat bolt upright. "Father's here!" The cheeriness in his voice made Jesse's heart sing.

As soon as Nakaoka parked, Genji leapt from the car, calling out to his father who was waiting for them just outside. Shimada Sojiro was dressed in an immaculately tailored suit. He sported a watch that was probably worth more money than Jesse could make in a year and his graying hair was cut tastefully. Jesse almost couldn't believe that this was the man who was the current mastermind behind a dynastic criminal family that even Overwatch saw as a threat. He laughed as Genji jumped into his arms for a hug. "How was Miyajima, my boy?"

"It was great!" Genji told him, the smile on his face a mile wide.

Jesse shifted the luggage in his hands nervously as he approached them. Dread filled his chest as Sojiro's eyes finally landed on him. He could feel the imminent firing upon him. Nakaoka stepped up next to him and took their bags, leaving Jesse with nothing to defend himself. Without thinking, Jesse went into a deep bow. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sojiro." Jesse said nervously. He could hear Genji snickering at him.

Sojiro laughed as well. "Please, Eastwood. No need for such formality." Jesse stood up straight and Sojiro reached out his hand for Jesse to shake. "It's nice to meet you too. A bodyguard my son actually seems to like, for once." He glanced ruefully over at Genji, who shrugged sheepishly. "I'm glad you're here taking care of him. I read over your resume, impressive stuff."

Jesse's mouth went dry, not knowing what to say. A career criminal telling him his record was impressive. This was not at all how he envisioned this conversation going. "Th-thank you sir." He stuttered.

"Now, Eastwood," Sojiro started, he nodded to Daisuke who had appeared to check on them. "Tomorrow I will be hosting a dinner with the head of another family that Genji will have to attend. Of course, he will be safe because all of us will be there, but another pair of eyes never hurts. Will you join us?"

Jesse finally managed to swallow. "Yes, sir. Of course. I'd be honored."

"Wonderful!" Sojiro said, clapping his hands together. He turned back to Genji and pulled him into a hug. "I have business away from home today. I will see you tomorrow, Genji."

Genji hugged his father back and Jesse couldn't help but notice just how tight it was. "See you tomorrow."

Jesse stood there, stupefied, as the two split apart and went their different ways. Genji headed farther into the Castle and Jesse was about to follow when Daisuke stepped into his path. Jesse flinched. Here it was, _now_ he was fired.

"How did it go?" Daisuke asked him, tone serious.

"It went well," Jesse said, matching his seriousness. "We didn't encounter any problems. It was nice."

Daisuke looked him up and down and Jesse fought the urge to shrink away from him. After a heart-stopping moment, Daisuke offered his hand to shake. "Nice fucking work, Eastwood. You're the first bodyguard I've seen make it this far. And you're getting on Sojiro's good side?" He nodded. "I'm impressed."

All Jesse could do for a moment was blink. "Thank you, Daisuke. I'll try and keep it up."

Daisuke stepped away and nodded toward the Castle. "Get back in there and rest up. Tomorrow is going to be busy."

Jesse nodded and hurried inside, still not quite convinced the events of the last 24 hours had actually happened.

* * *

Jesse let out a heavy sigh when he walked into the café and saw Reyes already sitting at a table in the back of the dining room, two cups of steaming coffee and a small pile of pastries on a plate between them.

"Good morning," Reyes offered in soft Spanish as Jesse plopped into his seat.

"It's 6 A.M., how good is it really?" Jesse retorted. He picked up the coffee cup, ignoring the too hot temperature, and drank deeply.

"You agreed to it, vaquero." Reyes chuckled. He nudged the plate of sweets forward before he leaned back in his chair. Jesse braced himself as he felt Reyes' eyes graze over him. "Hey," He moved forward again, his eyes narrowed. "Did you go Raven?"

Jesse's blush was all the answer he needed.

Reyes took in a deep breath. "Did you get any good intel from it?"

"I got invited to a dinner tonight between the head of the Shimada Clan and a rival family because Genji _likes_ me." Jesse told him, feeling exhausted already. Tonight was going to be a nightmare.

Reyes laughed and shook his head. "Good work, _Eastwood_." He teased.

Jesse simply glared at him from over the rim of his coffee cup. "All for you, boss." He set his cup down and grabbed one of the pastries and ripped off a chunk and shoved it into his mouth. "So the usual? Bring in a discreet recording device, get what I can, get it out and to you as fast as possible before any of the marks notice?"

Reyes smiled at him. "Just like I taught you."

Jesse threw him a smile as well, feeling a bit better about the situation as a whole already. Until his phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw a snap from Genji; a picture of the younger man winking at the camera, the tip of his tongue stuck out between his lips, hair still a mess from sleep. He was next to an empty space in his bed. The caption read: "Bed seems bigger without you here". There were several kiss emojis included and Jesse could feel himself smiling, feel himself falling deeper into this hole he was digging himself.

"Mijo," Reyes interjected, his voice serious. "You're not developing feelings for the Shimada kid are you?"

Jesse shook his head. "No sir," He said, lying through his god damned teeth.

Reyes frowned, not looking convinced. "You know why you can't, don't you? You lose your objectivity, you get distracted from the mission. We can't have that, Jesse. We need this intel."

"I know." Jesse retorted, his hackles rising. "You can't pull me, boss. Genji's just starting to trust me. I'm getting in good with some important people. I can _do_ this."

Reyes raised his hands to calm the younger Blackwatch member. "I know you can, kid. But I also don't want to see you fail because you can't keep your dick and your heart separate."

They met each other's gaze evenly for a few tense moments. Jesse both hated and loved Reyes for this. He never minced words, he said what needed to be heard, even if it wasn't easy.

"I can do this." Jesse repeated finally.

"Okay." Reyes relented. "You got anything else for me?"

"There's a distinct power discrepancy between the brothers. Hanzo wants everything to be perfect for when he comes into power but Genji couldn't care less about Clan life unless it suits his image, which hurts Hanzo's image. It's causing a rift between the two of them that's bound to tear. Probably catastrophically. It's a fucking powder keg. They also have a lot of contacts in Miyajima, which indicates they could have workers all over the country, people to call in every city. They're deeply engrained here, boss." Jesse told him seriously. "If Overwatch is aiming to uproot them, it's going to leave a massive void in the underground that's either gonna have all the families scrambling for a long time, or someone's going to fill it faster than we can blink."

Reyes mulled over the information while Jesse finished his coffee and pastry. "Good work, mijo. This gives us something to think about." He pushed the plate closer to Jesse. "Take those. Stay in your boy's good graces until we can figure out our next move."

"Boss," Jesse said as he stood. "It might be worth it to try and recruit Genji. He knows the nuances of the families that will take us years to pick up. And he wants out. He could be valuable if Overwatch is really planning on taking the Shimada out of the picture."

"I'll talk it over with Morrison." Reyes said with a curt nod. "Stay safe, Jesse."

"You, too, boss." Jesse tipped his hat and grabbed the pastries and headed back to Shimada Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Insert 7 million eye emojis here]
> 
> Note: Raven is the term for having sex with your mark to get information.
> 
> As always, thank you all so so so much for reading and being patient with me. Your continued support and messages of kindness helped so much while I was struggling. I appreciate each and every one of you! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time out of your day to spend it with me and our silly boys. 
> 
> Feel free to come scream at me about them on Twitter, I'm @voidgay_! See y'all next time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'know how adult life is basically one crisis after another? Yeah. 
> 
> I do want to finish this fic because I do really love it and have ideas planned out. But I'm probably gonna be posting when I can and not on a strict schedule. I'm in my senior year of my undergrad and having some big time mental health hurdles that I'm trying to handle so. Bear with me I guess!
> 
> Here's chapter 7. Rated T+ for alcohol use and discussion of drugs. 
> 
> Thank you everyone ~

Jesse straightened his black sports jacket out again. He'd been nervously fixing imaginary wrinkles for the past hour as he waited for Genji to finish getting ready. The two of them had been fitted only earlier that day by the Shimada personal tailor that had come to the house. Jesse had been given the outfit he was in now as the tailor had muttered something about everyone looking presentable at tonight's dinner. Now, his personal phone sat heavily in his jacket pocket, already recording and set to encrypt the file and upload it on to a remote server that Reyes had linked him to earlier in the day. It wasn't the most secure plan of action, but it was the least intrusive and the easiest to hide if suspicions were raised. Genji appeared out of his bathroom moments later, sighing as he did so. He was dressed immaculately, the tailor making sure not a thread was out of place on his new suit. The younger man paused at the shelf towards the back of his bedroom, reaching for a bottle that Jesse had thought was simply decorative. He fought off a smirk as Genji took a long pull.

"Pre-gaming?" Jesse asked in English, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Genji asked, out of breath after his drink.

"Y'know, like drinking at home before you go out to the bar so you spend less money?" Jesse tilted his head to the side and frowned at his explanation.  "Except in this case, I suppose you're bracing yourself for a stressful situation by taking the edge off first. Anyway." He shook his head and looked back at Genji. "What I mean is, you're drinking before we go into the dinner?"

Genji glanced down at the bottle in his hand. "Yeah. We're meeting with the Kato tonight. They're the fuckers that sent a hitman on me at the party a couple weeks ago."

Had it only been a couple weeks? Jesse could have sworn he'd been here for longer. "Damn. And your dad invited them here? To the house? Isn't that dangerous?"

Genji shrugged and took another swig of his mystery alcohol. "It's a power play. They're in our territory. They're outmanned and out gunned here." He walked forward and into Jesse's personal space. "Besides, I have a big, strong bodyguard to protect me." He threw his free arm around Jesse's shoulder. There was only a slight mocking in his playful tone. "You saved me from them once, I'm sure you could do it again, cowboy."

Jesse ignored the heat that began to burn in the pit of his stomach at their proximity. Instead he narrowed his eyes and leaned his head forward, their lips only breaths apart. "Hmm," Jesse hummed before stepping back and putting a proper amount of space between them. "No eyeliner tonight?"

Genji let out a little growl that Jesse had stepped back. "No. It's not traditional." He rolled his eyes. "We're supposed to be intimidating to our guests."

"The wing technique you use would scare off half the men I used to work with." Jesse told him with a wink. He let himself feel a bit smug as Genji's spine straightened as he preened at his comment. Genji wanted to be wooed? He could woo.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Jesse dear." Genji said, pushing the bottle of alcohol into Jesse's chest just as a knock sounded at the bedroom door. "Yes?" He called out in Japanese.

One of the staff cracked open the door shyly. Jesse sniffed at the bottle to see if he could identify it, but turned away slightly at the acrid scent. He took a sip and managed not to cringe at the burning in his mouth. It was like drinking a bottle of ethanol and would get both of them fucked up in a hot second if they weren't careful. Jesse decided to take the responsible route, yet again, and put the bottle back in its place on Genji's shelf.

Genji looked at him over his shoulder and nodded to the door. "C'mon, they're almost here."

The two of them walked towards the front of the main house, near where Jesse had first been interviewed. There was space for entertaining guests near the entrance where any potential antagonists couldn't actually get the lay of the floor plan or the grounds. They were greeted by Hanzo just outside of the dining room. He was dressed just as poshly as they were, though his face was tight with what Jesse assumed was that perfection-stick up his ass.

"Father's waiting." Hanzo said, crossing his arms.

"I know. That's why I was sent for." Genji retorted, still bruised from his brother's actions before their trip to Miyajima.

Hanzo huffed angrily and Jesse could see his hackles rise. Jesse tensed when Hanzo opened his mouth to sling something back at his brother, ready to step in between them again, when Sojiro rounded the corner. He smiled peaceably at his sons and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Boys are we ready?" He asked, looking at each of them. Jesse assumed he knew about the rift between his sons, it was damn near impossible to miss, but couldn't help but wonder how he planned to deal with it eventually. Sojiro's eyes landed on him. "Eastwood, are you prepared to be my second eyes here tonight? You've faced one of their men before."

"Yes, sir," Jesse responded seriously, giving a slight bow.

Sojiro simply laughed before leading his sons into the dining room. "Good. I hope you enjoy the dinner as well."

Jesse followed them into the dining room. Though he knew the layout in theory from the floor plans he'd seen, he mentally mapped out the room, committing all exits to memory. He saw Daisuke finishing a once over of the room before the man came over to him with a serious look on his face.

"May I have a moment with Eastwood?" Daisuke asked of Sojiro. Sojiro simply nodded and Jesse followed Daisuke back out of the dining room. "Are you ready?"

Jesse tried not to roll his eyes, tired of the words by now. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Daisuke said in hushed tones. Jesse hoped the mic on his phone was able to pick it up. "There should be four of them attending tonight. The head of the Kato, his son, and two of their elders. They've promised not to bring any of their security into the dinner itself, but from our cameras we saw an extra two in their car. I wouldn't put anything past them at this point, not after they tried to take Genji out of the picture." Daisuke paused there, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "You are going to be the only security figure in the room. Of course, we will be monitoring what happens and only a shout away, but be careful. Take care of them."

Jesse fought off the urge to salute, this little speech a bit too close to Morrison's for comfort, and he nodded instead. "I will, Daisuke. Thank you."

He returned to the dining room, shifting himself into work mode. He took his seat next to Genji. They sat to Sojiro's left while Hanzo sat to his right. Jesse took out his phone and placed it on his leg, shrugging as Genji eyed him.

"Can I expect your best behavior tonight, boys?" Sojiro asked to the room as he examined one of his glasses from the table.

"Yes father," the Shimada sons responded in unison.

"Good." He set down his glass and looked up to the sliding door on the opposite side of the room. "Here they come."

The bamboo door opened and four men stepped inside. Jesse stood when the others did, bowing in greeting. They all sat at the table again, settling on the green pillows provided, and Genji set about to filling the table's cups with tea. Sojiro eyed the other family leader carefully. The head of the Kato family was older than he was, head fully silver and prominent lines on his face. The son looked to be about ten years older than Jesse himself. He had short cropped hair and twitched slightly as he eyed both Genji and Jesse.

Genji looked up and made eye contact with him and winked, making the son's face tinge pink. All four men were dressed in suits as well, just as well tailored and well-made as the Shimada's. Each man had the tips of a black tattoo peeking out of the collars of their shirts.

Pleasantries were shared until food was served by the Shimada staff. Most of the conversation was held between Sojiro and Kato themselves, though the elders spoke plenty. Initially, there wasn't anything Jesse really felt was especially important to record, but he moved as little as possible so that the phone's microphone could pick up as much as possible. It wasn't until they reached the end of the meal and desserts were being served that the conversation really got interesting. There was gossip on the movements of the Japanese underground and the two leaders denied or confirmed anything they personally knew about. Jesse worked to keep his breathing even and his heart rate steady as he let the priceless information record. This was grounds for a beautiful holiday bonus. But as the sake flowed, their topics turned back to the more casual.

Perhaps in a show of how comfortable he thought he'd become, Kato's gaze finally slid to Jesse. "I'm surprised to see an outsider here." He commented casually, as if it wasn't meant to be a blow to Sojiro's leadership skills.

"He's earned his place." Sojiro said after taking a sip of his tea.

"As I recall," Genji piped up, speaking without having been spoken to for the first time that night and running his finger around the rim of his sake cup. "He was the one who intercepted the Kato man who intended to murder me at the after party a few weeks ago." He took a sip and set his cup down, meeting Kato's gaze directly. Genji was downright scary in his element like this. Jesse fought off a shiver, though if it was from nerves or arousal he really couldn't tell. "A shame really, Kato, that your hitman was your only representative there. I'm sure an appearance at such a lavish and well covered event like that would have done wonders for your reputation in Japan."

Kato and his son both blanched, though their expressions stayed roughly the same. "S-Sojiro, you must understand, he was acting on his own." Jesse could see Kato's hands twitching in his lap. "In fact, I'm thankful to your man for sending him back to us. We were able to eliminate a small internal faction who were attempting a coup."

"I want to believe that." Sojiro responded coldly, both he and Genji glaring at them.

"We can get you a new contact in North Korea." Kato's son blurted then, obviously looking for anything that would assuage these infinitely more powerful men. "Our amphetamine seller is looking to break into the coke market. With your reach, I'm sure it would be lucrative for you both." Kato cringed at his son's outburst, and at losing such a lead for himself. There was an apology on his lips at the insurrection, but Sojiro gave the younger man a small smile.

"Good. My men will be in touch then." Sojiro said smoothly. "So sorry about the coup, Kato. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have a pocket of such disloyal people in your midst."

Kato and his men took the hint within his words and stood. They were done here. Sojiro no longer had use for them. Once they were assured that the Kato men had left the premises, they all stood and Sojiro clapped Genji on the back.

"Good work, Genji." He said, his voice warm with pride. "Did you see them? You had them quaking in their boots! You're a natural."

Jesse could see a vein pop out in Hanzo's forehead from over Sojiro's shoulder. This type of praise wasn't to be taken lightly and Hanzo's desire to be held in his father's esteem was obvious. Jesse couldn't blame him, really. When he was in Deadlock he'd wanted to be the leader's favorite as well. But unfortunately for Hanzo, tonight was Genji's night and there wasn't much to be done about it. Maybe when an attempt on Hanzo's life happened, Sojiro could invite them and Hanzo could scare the shit out of _those_ rivals.

After a celebratory glass of wine for each of them, Jesse accompanied Genji back to his room. The youngest Shimada had been nursing high quality sake all throughout dinner and with his mystery alcohol and the wine on top of it, he was just on the other side of tipsy. Jesse had to hand it to him, he held his own together for the entire length of the dinner. But now that he wasn't in front of his father's guests, he let himself be a bit looser. Once they were away from his family, Genji changed his pace so that they were walking in time together. He reached out for Jesse's arm and leaned on him heavily.

"Did you see me tonight?" Genji asked, looking up at Jesse, his cheeks flushed with drink.

"I did," Jesse confirmed.

"Was I scary?"

"Darlin', you were the scariest thing at the table tonight." Jesse told him. He couldn't keep the fondness out of his voice as he looked down at the younger man who beamed at the praise. His smile lit up his whole face and Jesse's heart clenched with affection. God damn he was falling in deep.

Genji closed the door behind them when they reached his room and immediately began to undress. Jesse backpedaled towards the door, ready to give him some privacy. He needed to get back to his room so he could send the audio files to Reyes. But Genji stumbled while taking his pants off, and against his better judgment, Jesse lunged forward and caught him before he could fall.

Genji gasped at the sudden contact and looked up at Jesse and smiled again. "You're just full of rescues aren't you?"

"I try to be," Jesse admitted as he helped Genji right himself. "I'm gonna head to bed, Genj. You should too."

But Genji's hand slipped forward and held onto Jesse wrist. "I'm not done with you, yet." With a surprising amount of force given his current state, Genji tugged him forward and toward the bed. They stood with their chests flush, Genji looking up at him through his lashes. "My turn to make the first move, cowboy."

Jesse stepped back, however, putting space between them again. "Afraid I can't let you do that tonight, Genj."

Genji gave him a confused frown, looking just a bit ridiculous as he stood there only half dressed. "What?"

"You're drunk, Genji." Jesse told him, twisting his arm so that it was no longer in the other man's grasp.

"Not really," Genji tried to assure him, shaking his head vigorously. He only managed to put himself off balance.

"Well, it's enough." Jesse said. "I'm not about to do any funny stuff while one of us is drunk and the other isn't. And especially not in your house. I'm not taking advantage of you."

"But—"

"No, Genji." Jesse said more firmly this time. "I need to get back to my room." When he saw Genji's face fall, he tried for a lie. "My phones about to die. I gotta go."

Genji bit his lip before speaking again. "I'll let you use one of my chargers if you stay." Jesse's jaw slackened in shock. The younger man's expression turned into the closest thing he could manage to embarrassment. "Please stay?"

Jesse's resolve left him as those words left Genji's mouth. Who was he to deny Genji anything when he asked so timidly? With a defeated sigh, he stepped forward and let Genji pull him into a hug. "All right, Genj. I'll stay."

Genji's arms tightened around him momentarily. "Help me change?" He asked into Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse sighed again and let his head droop to rest on top of Genji's. "Sure, darlin'."

With minimal stumbling, Jesse helped Genji undress down to his boxers and helped him into bed. Genji told him where the spare charger was and Jesse dug around Genji's desk until he found it and plugged his phone in. He glanced over his shoulder before he uploaded the encrypted audio files to Reyes' server. And when he got a message from Reyes confirming he received the files, he immediately deleted the evidence of his deeds.

"Jesseeeee," Genji whined. "I thought you were staying."

"I am, I am. Calm yourself, please." Jesse retorted as he undid his belt to take his slacks off.

"I've never been calm in _my life_." Genji told him, looking at the ceiling.

"I can believe that." Jesse laughed, unbuttoning his dress shirt and setting it aside with his other clothes. Now in just his boxers and undershirt, Jesse made his way over to Genji's bed and pulled the plush down duvet back and clambered in beside his mark. And his crush. Jesus, what was he allowing himself to get into?

Genji wormed his way over to him immediately. He put his hands on Jesse face and rubbed at his beard. "Jesse. I like your beard."

"Thanks, Genj." Jesse smiled at him.

"I want a beard." Genji said as he rubbed harder.

"You'll get there, kid." Jesse told him. He wrapped an arm around Genji's waist and put the other behind his head. "C'mon, let's get to sleep. And no funny stuff, you hear?"

Genji groaned sadly and rested his head on Jesse's chest. "Fine." He reached out and traced imaginary lines on Jesse's arm. "Thank you for staying. Good night, Jesse."

Jesse took his free hand and ran it softly through Genji's green mop. "Good night, Genj."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading. If you're still keeping up with this: I love you with my whole entire heart.


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